Who was Rebecca Landrith? Model shot 18 times before killer abused corpse, left note with contact info: Police
Pennsylvania authorities revealed how a former fashion model was found shot dead along Interstate 80 over the weekend, and a suspect has been arrested in the murder. According to a report by The Philly Voice, 47-year-old Rebecca Landrith's body was found early Sunday by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation employee on the side of a ramp of the I-80. Landrith was found to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and throat. The coroner said at least 18 bullets were removed from her body.
Investigators found a note in Landrith's pocket, which reportedly led to the arrest of 28-year-old Tracy Rollins on Wednesday. PennLive reported how Rollins -- a truck driver from Dallas -- was apprehended in Milldale, Connecticut, on homicide and abuse of corpse charges. Investigators found blood and shell casings in the 28-year-old's truck after he reportedly tried to clean his vehicle with bleach after the fact.
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According to the report, the note contained Rollins' name, phone number, and email address. Landrith had recently traveled through Indiana and Wisconsin, police said. During interrogation, Rollins claimed she didn't know Landrith and that he had been traveling with a woman named "Leslie" whom he met at a truck stop in Connecticut, per an affidavit obtained by PennLive. The affidavit states that Rollins claimed he traveled with Leslie to Maine; Brooklyn, New York; Connecticut; and Wisconsin. It later emerged that Landrith had made hotel reservations in December under the name Leslie Myers.
Landrith's devastated family is mourning her demise, but is glad an arrest has finally been made. “We’re relieved,” her brother George Landrith told PennLive. “It doesn’t ease the sense of loss.” “Her family loved her dearly,” he added. “None of this brings her back. It is important she receives justice.”
Who was Rebecca Landrith?
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Rebecca was the youngest of five siblings, George told PennLive. He noted that she never married and had separated from the rest of her family five years ago. George said he knows little about her life since she became estranged from the family. He said their parents are divorced and their father lives in Utah.
Rebecca Landrith had been a professional model in New York City, a finalist for Miss Manhattan in 2014, a talented violinist, and worked with numerous charities, according to her biography. “I adore fashion and the industry and am a warm weather person with a warm heart," Landrith wrote about herself on her iStudio page. “I have worked with some really great photographers and fantastic people in this industry. I love clothes and have a great wardrobe to style myself and bring to shoots. I know high fashion labels and have fabulous shoes with all my outfits.”
Her biography further states: “Ms. Landrith has appeared in numerous product advertisements, video commercials, magazines, acted as a spokesmodel in videos for businesses and their websites, and multiple haute-couture Runway shows including Fashion Week."
In November, MEAWW reported how a well-known model and mother-of-two died after her ex-boyfriend -- a former cop -- ran over her. James Heath Kitchens allegedly hit Brittany Rhea Phillips leading to her death on November 21, 2020. The incident reportedly occurred when she was walking on Riviera Road around 8 in the evening in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. The 26-year-old victim was rushed to the OCH Regional Medical Center but was pronounced dead shortly after. Local authorities did not provide much information related to the incident, but said the alleged murder was the result of a “domestic incident." The 30-year-old suspect is said to a former cop who worked as a Tupelo police officer from January 2019 until May 2020.