Prostitution Figure May Shed Light on Killings

One day after her forced return from the Philippines, a purported San Diego madam who may have “valuable information” for a task force of detectives investigating a series of prostitute killings was in jail Friday on pandering and pimping charges. Bail was set at $4 million.

Karen L. Wilkening came to the attention of the San Diego Metropolitan Homicide Task Force as part of its probe of 40 slayings of women whose life styles have included prostitution and drug activity.

“The task force’s desire to locate her was because of the possible valuable information she might possess and have,” said task force spokeswoman Lt. Liz Foster of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

“She might have information. She might have knowledge of some of the victims. She might have known them.”

And she might have known some of the people who paid for prostitutes, Foster said.

“She was in a position to direct and supervise a lot of prostitution activity,” Foster said. “That was the role she played.”

Missing Since 1987

Wilkening had remained a fugitive in the Philippines since September, 1987, when she disappeared while facing a preliminary hearing on criminal charges that she operated a call girl service out of a Linda Vista condominium.

She was apprehended this week in the Philippines and flown under guard back to San Diego on Thursday.

On Friday, the 42-year-old Wilkening appeared in San Diego Municipal Court and pleaded not guilty to three felony charges in connection with her flight to the Philippines, as well as the original charges from 1987.

Judge Lillian Lin Quon set bail at $4 million, and Wilkening was taken to the County Jail at Las Colinas. A preliminary hearing in the case was set for May 26.

Brian Michaels, chief deputy district attorney, said Wilkening was deported from the Philippines because she was living there under a false passport.

He said she had been traveling throughout the Far East and Australia and was eventually found in a “rather nice” condominium in the Philippines, where officials discovered letters to her from men in various parts of the world.

Michaels said she is not considered a suspect in the homicides, but was wanted for questioning because of her familiarity with the prostitution business in San Diego.

Foster declined to say exactly how the task force detectives located Wilkening in the Philippines, but said Wilkening’s name surfaced as a “possible link” in the murder cases.

She declined to describe that link, but added, “What the task force hopes to get out of this particular individual, information-wise, is obviously enough to go to the extent that they went to.” Foster noted that Charles Rogers, the prosecutor assigned to the task force, and a deputy sheriff went to the Philippines to bring Wilkening back.

“This is not just a situation where they came across a possible witness they haven’t been able to locate. There’s enough reason to believe this person is in possession of valuable information for the task force.”

The district attorney’s office also has alleged that Wilkening fled to the Philippines with the help of her San Diego lawyer at the time, Buford B. Wiley Jr.

Wiley, 45, was charged Wednesday with four felony counts connected with Wilkening’s disappearance. Wiley is free on $500,000 bail while awaiting arraignment Tuesday in Municipal Court.

Investigators have also searched the offices and home of National City car dealer Tony McCune. Court records allege that McCune provided Wiley with money for Wilkening’s use while she was in hiding. McCune has not been charged.