VH1 Reality Show Contestant Sought After Model's Body Found in Suitcase

Aug. 19, 2009— -- On television, Ryan Alexander Jenkins was a reality-show contestant vying for the heart of a pretty blonde. In real life, he's being sought by police in connection with the death of his wife, a former swimsuit model who was found stuffed into a suitcase days after he reported her missing.

Police say Jasmine Fiore, 28, had been strangled and left in a suitcase that was found Saturday morning in Buena Park, Calif. Jenkins, a finalist on the pre-taped VH1 reality competition "Megan Wants a Millionaire," has not been seen by authorities since.

Police have named Jenkins, 32, as a "person of interest" and say he may be headed to his native Canada. ABC's Los Angeles affiliate KABC reported today that authorities put out an alert asking people to keep an eye out for either his black BMW X5 with Canadian plates HLY275 or Fiore's missing car -- a white 2007 Mercedes.

Local resident Frank DiStefano told KABC that he found Fiore's body when he was digging through the trash looking for recyclables.

"It was partially opened, I lifted it up one time and saw skin, but I wasn't sure, so I lifted it up again," he said. "Then, when I saw the marks on the body and everything, I verified that it was a body. I immediately called 911."

Fiore had worked as a Las Vegas bikini model and had appeared in advertisements for radio personality Howard Stern. KABC reported that Fiore was working as a representative for Playboy's "Girls of Golf" when she disappeared.

Fiore had recently moved to Los Angeles and was last seen at a poker game in San Diego with Jenkins. He had reported her missing the day the suitcase was found.

TMZ reported Tuesday night that Jenkins' publicist said his client planned to speak with authorities.

"Ryan is currently speaking to his attorney and will fully cooperate with the police in this matter," he said, according to TMZ. "He is planning on meeting with them in the near future."