David Mahler, a 43-year-old east coast lawyer, came to Hollywood for the celebrity lifestyle, the movie industry, and the women. At his seven-level home in the Hollywood Hills, Mahler rubbed elbows with the seedy elements of the entertainment world: wannabe rock stars, drug kingpins, and adult film stars—one of whom introduced him to Kristin Baldwin, a pretty, upbeat blonde. One night, during a violent argument in his bedroom, a vicious, drug-crazed Mahler grabbed a gun. A shot rang out—and Kristin was never seen alive again.