An unlikely match ends in death

He is a onetime contestant on “The Sexiest Bachelor in America” who according to his website traveled the world ministering as a Christian mime.

She was a model and entertainer who had bit parts in Hollywood blockbusters and featured roles in adult films.

Now, Brian Lee Randone is accused of torturing and killing Felicia Tang Lee inside the home they shared in Monrovia.

Shortly after noon on Sept. 11, Randone, 45, called 911 to report that his girlfriend of several months was not breathing.

Authorities found Lee, 31, dead in the home she shared with Randone in the 500 block of West Duarte Road.

When officers arrived at the scene, they determined the evidence did not support Randone’s account of what happened, said Lt. Liam Gallagher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Randone was arrested within hours and charged four days later with killing and torturing Lee. He is in jail in lieu of $2-million bail.

Lee, an actress and model, had been beaten and choked, authorities said.

Prosecutors said torture charges were filed because of the severity of her injuries and evidence that she died slowly.

Coroner’s officials said they would not discuss Lee’s injuries because they are still waiting for test results. The official cause of death has been deferred pending those findings.

Randone’s court-appointed attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

Randone appeared in court Sept. 15, at which time his arraignment was continued until Tuesday. He has not entered a plea.

On paper, at least, the pair seemed an unlikely match.

He was educated as a minister. She had appeared nude in adult films.

But he’d also worked as an actor and model, representing Nebraska in the 2000 Fox Television show “The Sexiest Bachelor in America.”

Those who knew the couple said they began dating after meeting in April at a swimming pool at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. At the time of Lee’s death, they had been living together for about four months, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Philip Wojdak.

Lee, who friends said had been married previously, had pursued a career as an actress and model under her maiden name, Felicia Tang.

She posed nude in adult films and on calendars, appeared in programming on the Playboy Channel and worked as a model at car import shows.

Lee also had small parts in “The Fast and the Furious,” “Rush Hour 2” and “Cradle 2 The Grave,” according to a resume posted on her website.

More recently, friends said she had been working toward becoming a licensed real estate agent.

Lee was born in Singapore and later attended a Catholic school in Australia, according to a statement released by her family after her death.

Later, she moved to Los Angeles with her family and studied marketing and business administration.

Lee’s family declined to be interviewed, but the statement they released read: “Felicia loved life and lived it to its fullest. However, she was more than just a public figure. Felicia was above all a human being, a daughter, a sister, a friend to many who continue to love and honor her, as much in life and in her passing.”

Candace Kita, who worked with Lee as a model, called Lee “a bright, bubbly, kind, beautiful woman.”

Kita, author of “The Hottie Handbook: A Girl’s Guide to Safety,” said she objected to the way some in the media have portrayed Lee’s career.

“The perception that she is this porn star makes people think this is a horrible ending to a horrible life,” Kita said. “She did not deserve to be beaten . . . she was a nice gal and she didn’t deserve it.”

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anthony.pesce@latimes.com