from www.sgvtribune.com – PASADENA – The mother of a slain adult film actress called on the media Friday to stop referring to her daughter as a “porn star.”
Elizabeth Tang, whose daughter Felicia Lee was tortured and slain on Sept. 11, spoke just after a pre-trial hearing for suspected killer Brian Randone, a former minister and one-time reality TV star.
“Like any other person, this daughter of mine had her share of triumphs and failures in her short life,” Lee’s mother said. “Words cannot express the grief and pain my family and I are going through for her tragic loss.”
Lee, 31, who used the stage name Felicia Tang, grew up in Walnut and attended Rowland High School. Besides working in a local mortgage company, Lee was a model and actress who had nude roles in several films including Hotel Decadence and Asian Fever.
Although Lee once appeared in a racy lesbian scene with reality television star Tila Tequila, she also had minor roles in several mainstream movies as well.
Lee’s family, who live in Walnut, is now represented by attorney Gloria Allred who also spoke after Friday’s hearing.
“Is the porn star label an effort by supporters of the defense to try to dehumanize her or somehow insinuate that she deserved to die if she was involved in pornography?” Allred said.
Later in the day, Allred said a Facebook site purporting to represent the Tang family was a fraud.
“We are not attempting to solicit funds from anyone,” Allred said.
Prior to Allred and Tang’s short press conference, Judge Dorothy Shubin set Randone’s preliminary hearing for October 22.
Randone’s attorney also spoke out Friday. He took on Allred and said that he believes the actress died as the result of a drug overdose.
“The coroner is waiting for toxicology test results before determining Lee’s cause of death,” said Mark Overland, Randone’s defense attorney. “And that’s unusual.”
Toxicology reports, however, often take a month or two, said an official from the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.
“We want to take a look at everything that applies,” coroner Lt. Brian Elias said. “To defer the cause of death for six to eight weeks is not uncommon.”
Overland also denied Randone beat Lee with metal tracks used to hang sliding closet doors, which prosecutors had alleged.
Randone’s defense attorney would not speculate how Lee’s body had been injured prior to her death.
“It will come out in court,” Overland said. “The cuts “didn’t kill her.”
He’s also hoping to quickly take the case to trial.
“The issues in this case don’t seem to be that complicated,” Overland said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a long wait before the trial.”
“I want it done quick,” he said.
Randone, who appeared on the Fox Network show “America’s Sexiest Bachelor” is being held on $2 million bail. He has been confined to protective custody, officials said.