Authorities on Saturday confirmed the body found in the trunk of a missing Realtor’s car in San Diego late last week was that of Julia “Deede” Buchanan Keller, the Los Angeles Realtor who’d been missing for more than a week.

Police found Keller’s 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 Thursday evening about 120 miles south of El Segundo where she was last seen. Authorities on Saturday said it was unclear how she died and detectives continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Investigators last week questioned Keller’s ex-husband.

Keller was an agent at Shorewood Realtors in Manhattan Beach, one of the trendiest and most expensive communities in L.A.’s popular South Bay. Rick Plank, Keller’s office manager, said she had been representing clients in the area for more than a dozen years.

Keller, 55, was last seen on July 8, being dropped off outside her home around 11:30 p.m. No one was worried when Keller didn’t come into the office the following Friday or Saturday, Shorewood’s Plank said, because those are two of the days when the agent is typically busy showing properties and meeting with clients. But Keller’s son, Michael, told investigators that he became worried after learning his mother had uncharacteristically missed some weekend appointments.

Dozens of real estate agents fanned out across a large portion of Los Angeles County Wednesday afternoon, passing out flyers and looking for leads in Keller’s mysterious disappearance. Shorewood Realtors and its escrow subsidiary offered a $50,000 reward for information that would help find the missing agent. Plank said that salespeople from Keller’s office, and even many agents from competing offices, had written checks to make the reward fund even larger.

***

Send tips or a Letter to the Editor to jessica@inman.com or call (510) 658-9252, ext. 133.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×