LOS ANGELES (AP) - A reality TV producer charged with killing his wife in Mexico was due in court Wednesday after court documents revealed the couple had argued during a vacation in Mexico and blood had been found in their room.
Former “Survivor” producer Bruce Beresford-Redman was expected to fight extradition to Mexico, where he has been charged with aggravated homicide in the death of his wife Monica Beresford-Redman. Her body was found in a Cancun sewer seven months ago.
Federal agents arrested Beresford-Redman Tuesday without incident at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes after a U.S. magistrate reviewed the documents that said guests had told hotel security they heard “screams, crying for help and extremely loud banging from the room above.”
A forensic expert later found traces of blood on sheets, a pillar and balcony railing of the hotel room the Beresford-Redmans were sharing with their young children, the documents state.
Without elaborating, Bruce Beresford-Redman’s attorney Richard G. Hirsch said in a statement that he believed his client was innocent and should not be returned to Mexico.
“Based upon our investigation, he is an innocent man being wrongfully accused by a foreign government,” Hirsch wrote. “We hope that after full consideration of both sides, a federal court will decide not to extradite him.”
The family of Monica Beresford-Redman _ which has for months complained about the pace of the investigation _ said through an attorney they were expecting months of legal wrangling.
“They know that this is not the end in their quest for justice for their sister Monica and are prepared to pursue this horrific tragedy to the end,” attorney Alison Triessl said in a statement.
The 11-page complaint unsealed after the arrest described a contentious series of events that led to Monica Beresford-Redman’s death.
The complaint states she discovered her husband was having an affair before the trip and had been seeking a divorce. Her sisters have said the couple traveled to Mexico in an attempt to reconcile.
A hotel worker told Mexican authorities a man who matched Bruce Beresford-Redman’s description tried to assault the woman but held back when he realized he was being watched, the complaint states.
It also includes a statement from an acquaintance of Bruce Beresford-Redman who said he had received a call from the producer while his wife was considered missing. The man, who hadn’t spoken to the producer in a year, told authorities it sounded as if Bruce Beresford-Redman was reading from a script when he told him his wife was missing.
The producer somehow was able to leave Mexico before authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in May. He has appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom several times to deal with custody issues related to his daughter and son, and on issues related to his wife’s estate.
Last week, Bruce Beresford-Redman’s parents were granted permanent guardianship of the couple’s 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.
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