How Paris Hilton helped solve a crime

In this world, this jet setting scene, so much seems to happen when the rest of us are asleep. 

Now, we cut to Las Vegas, 10 months after Joe Francis was held up in his own home.  The scene: the Hard Rock hotel, where Paris was out at one of those exclusive after-parties. This one a birthday party for her sister Nicky.  Paris was playing bartender when, she says,  a young man from that Hollywood social set named Will Wright sat down on the other side of the bar, and told her an amazing story: about Joe Francis and the hold up and the video tape.

Hoon Chun:  Ms. Hilton heard somebody talking about this crime. She then took that information to Mr. Francis, and then Mr. Francis put her on the phone with the police and she provided that information to the police...

Morrison: Paris Hilton, amateur Det.ective? 

Chun:  I’m not sure that I would characterize as "amateur detective" just somebody who was concerned about a friend.

Concerned friend?  It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Paris Hilton. 

Det.. Koman (tape transcript): Paris, we’re here to talk to you today about a case—that you might know a little bit about.  It’s about Joe Francis.

Paris Hilton: I heard something. It was like four in the morning at a party.

Koman: At—at—at a party?  Okay, where was the party at?

Hilton: In Vegas.

And Paris’ informant? Will Wright.

What was his role on the Hollywood scene? Well, he is the charming ex-con.

Det.. Koman: And Will just comes up to you?

Hilton: Yeah.

According to Paris, Will knew all about the Joe Francis robbery and told her. 

But she was having trouble remembering.

Hilton:  Like I really—I don’t remember.  I’m not like that smart.  I like forget stuff all the time.

Det.. Koman: Don’t cut yourself short.

Hilton: But I don’t remember.  I don’t remember.

Then Prosecutor Hoon Chun gave it a try.

Hoon Chun: The circles you hang out in—I imagine people don’t often confess doing a home invasion robbery. Am I correct?

Hilton: I don’t know.  No.

Chun: And this is not just an ordinary thing.  Somebody’s describing taking a videotape, a compromising videotape, tying up an ex-boyfriend of yours. This is not—

Hilton: He’s not my ex-boyfriend.

Chun: I’m sorry.  It’s someone you dated?  Or somebody you—

Hilton: No.

Paris denied a relationship with Joe Francis.  That much she seemed very sure of.  But the rest of it was so hazy.

So the prosecutor and the cops decided to take a break and someone brought Paris a sandwich.  Would food help?

Chun: It seems like your memory is now a little bit better.

Hilton: Because I just ate and I ate coffee and I closed my eyes and think.

With some food in her, Paris starts remembering what happened that late night.

Hilton: It was really loud.  It was a nightclub.  the music was blasting. It was just like I’m making shots behind the bar and like getting wasted and like passing shots out to people.

Chun: Did Joe Francis’s name come up first?

Hilton: I don’t know.

Hoon: Cuz that’s not normal.

Hilton: People always talk bad about him. 

Hoon: Okay so somebody’s making fun of Joe. But just try to remember what did Will—what did Will say about Joe Francis?

Hilton: He was like there’s this gross video tape of him.

Then Paris recalls a little more clearly what she heard that night in the bar about the man who attacked and humiliated Joe Francis— who brought him to tears and tried to extort him.  That person had attended the very same parties as Paris and Joe and all the rest of them.  His name: Darnell Riley.

Chun: What did he mention about Darnell?

Hilton: That Darnell filmed it or had it.

Chun: Darnell filmed it?

Hilton: Filmed it or had it—I don’t know.

Mark Ebner, investigative journalist covering the case: What I know about Darnell Riley is, is that from the age of 15 to, I believe, 24 years old he was incarcerated in juvenile Det.ention facilities for the cold blooded murder of two Korean shopkeepers here in Los Angeles. 

Somewhere along the line, having been a convict, it didn’t take much to turn him into a smooth confidence guy when he got out of jail. He started meeting people.  And through those connections, started making his way into the nightlife scene— a handsome young man with a shady past. 

Morrison: He was a tough guy.

Ebner: Tough guy.

Ebner: But he was also very charming. 

Darnell Riley was 28 years old.  He was a good looking bundle of trouble who wanted very much to be part of that Hollywood crowd. Of course, Paris, the epicenter of that crowd tells the cops she wasn’t so interested.

Det. Koman: Okay how many times have you seen Darnell?

Hilton: A couple [times]— not really that much because I don’t hang out with him.  He’s not in my group.  He might be one of these club kids.  But I go to clubs and there’s thousands of people will come up to me in a night.  He’s not my friend.

Ron Richards is Darnell Riley’s defense attorney.

Morrison: Why was he so driven to hang out with this crowd of Hollywood people?

Richards: That’s a good question.  I don’t know why anybody’s driven to hang out with Hollywood people.  Except that he probably liked the action.  You know, that it’s a fast moving crowd.

Morrison: How would you describe that party scene?

Richards: I would describe it as treacherous.  It’s long hours—you know, fortunately I’m an outsider on it.  And that’s why I wouldn’t be able to tell you from the inside.  But, it generates a lot of business for my firm.

Heather and aspiring actress Kristen, the girls who had figured out their way past the velvet rope and the V.I.P. bouncer, knew Darnell too  from that Hollywood party scene.

Heather Bernardcyck:  I met Darnell Reilly—actually at Nikki Hilton’s party.

That’s the same party where Paris says Will Wright told her that Darnell Riley was the one who held up Joe.

Bernardcyck:  We were all  at The Hard Rock the very top—where the bowling alley or something.  And Will introduced us to Darnell—

An arrest and conviction
Darnell Riley was arrested for the robbery of Joe Francis.

Darnell Riley plea deal

Joe Francis told his side of the story at the hearing.  And here, a moment of irony: He has exposed the private parts of a veritable army of fresh faced young women, but Joe testified as the victim of a sex crime of sorts.  So the judge prevented us from showing his face in court.

The notorious video was played.

In an effort to undermine the star witness, defense attorney Ron Richards brought up every skeleton in Joe’s closet --  accusations of  sex crimes perpetrated by Joe in lawsuits and leveled by the state of Florida.  It turned out, “Girls Gone Wild” has produced some trouble along with all that wealth.

Ron Richards, Darnell Riley's defense lawyer (in court):  I’m showing you a copy of your arrest report on your current felony charges in Florida.  Do you see that?

Francis: Yes, I do.

Joe is charged with four felonies involving minors in a sexual performance... Joe, remember, was the victim in this case.

After Joe told his story, after the exortion tapes were played and finger prints were matched up --  Darnell Riley admitted he did it. He got 10 years, eight months less time served, and at no time did he ever mention an accomplice at the other end of a two-way radio.

So a big question remained unanswered: Could Darnell Riley have really acted alone?