UPDATE: Music Producer Found Alive According To Sheriff's Department
In an update late Friday evening August 26, 2005, police reported that missing music producer Chris Julian was found alive. More details when they are available.
Earlier Details
When Fortunato Procopio woke up at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, August 21, 2005, it turns out it was a message being left on his answering machine that disturbed his sleep. When he played the message back it was his close friend, music producer and engineer Chris Julian (real name Christopher Julian Irwin), in distress and asking for help. He stated that he was in hiding with someone in close pursuit. Procopio and his girlfriend decide to take a drive to Topanga Canyon outside of Los Angeles to see if his friend needed help.
On their way, Procopio's cell phone rang and it was his friend again. This time he said he had been chased from his home and down a ravine by people. He was currently barefoot and feared for his life. Another cell phone call came a short time later indicating Irwin was running along Topanga Creek, and that was the last anyone has heard.
Christopher Irwin's brother-in-law told reporters that sheriff's dogs traced Irwin's scent down the ravine to a propane shop where they believe he made the first phone call. Then they traced the scent across the street and into a small canyone. After tracing the scent a short distance along a creek they lost the scent.
A very unusual twist to the story is that Irwin's friends and relatives believe his disappearance may be connected to an online Nigerian financial scam. The scam is a quite common one asking people to accept a check for a large amount of money for temporary safekeeping. In exchange they will receive a monetary award. Irwin told Procopio that he had been drawn into a Nigerian Internet fraud and was being threatened by those operating the scam. Procopio told him to ignore it and that it was just a scam, but Irwin later received a $50,000 check in the mail, and, in his frantic phone calls, indicated the threatening pursuit had something to do with the Nigerian con.
Irwin is the owner and operator of Chris Julian Productions. His website claims that he is a record producer and engineer who has helped to bring about 3 Grammy nominations, over 50 gold and platinum albums, and an Emmy award. He claims clients have included David Bowie, Chaka Khan, and Carly Simon.
