Here’s a tip, ladies. If a man goes by three names, he’s probably a psychopath. Don’t ask why it happens, it just does. John Wayne Gacy, Gary Leon Ridgway, H.H Holmes, Henry Lee Lucas, etc. etc.
This tip would have helped VH1 with their show Megan Wants a Millionaire, which Ryan Alexander Jenkins appeared in before being charged with the brutal murder of his ex-wife. The millionaire only appeared in the first three episodes of the show but VH1 has immediately yanked it off the air after the events.
It all started on August 15th, when Jenkins’ ex-wife Jasmine Fiore was found beaten, strangled and crushed inside of a suitcase in a dumpster in Buena Park, CA. Her teeth and fingers were missing, possibly in an attempt to hide her identity, but they were able to id her by the serial numbers on her breast implants. (It’s important to remember the little [big] details, potential murderers!) Investigators soon found out that the last person she was in contact with was Ryan Alexander Jenkins, who had left a hotel they were both staying at by himself carrying a suitcase, before reporting her missing the next day.
After authorities started questioning him (and his status was raised from “Person of Interest” to “Potential Suspect”) he jumped in a boat and ran off to Canada. After a week-long search his body was found yesterday hanging in a motel in Hope, British Columbia, an apparent suicide.
VH1 has naturally tried to disassociate itself from the show in any way it can, releasing this press release-
Ryan Jenkins was a contestant on Megan Wants A Millionaire, an outside production, produced and owned by 51 Minds, that is licensed to VH1. The show completed production at the end of March. Given the unfortunate circumstances, VH1 has postponed any future airings. This is a tragic situation and our thoughts go out to the victim’s family.
Production company 51 Minds indicated that it had commissioned a background check on all of the 17 contestants in the show but it somehow didn’t turn up that Jenkins had an assault charge from 2007.
Already this is shaking up reality tv, with people suggesting that the networks are purposely seeking out unstable people to make for more interesting shows. It’s not the first time a reality show has had made it on the air despite having a criminal record, with past contestents on America’s Most Smartest Model and Who Wants to Marry A Millionaire having been found guilty of crimes such as assault. Course. it’s not like this crime happened on the show, but it’s scared people enough to think that it could.
VH1 has also not yet decided on the future of another potentially horrible show of theirs called I Love Money 3, which was going to include Jenkins as a participant.