Sophia Leone appears in two selfies. (GoFundMe; Instagram)
The mysterious death of an adult film actress is being investigated as a homicide, according to her longtime agency partners.
Sophia Leone was only 26 years old when family found her “unresponsive” in her Albuquerque apartment on March 1, a GoFundMe started by Leone’s stepfather, Mike Romero says.
The online fundraiser announced the news of Leone’s death to the world and aims to raise money for funeral expenses and other costs the family incurs in the wake of the sudden loss.
On March 9, 101 Modeling posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the starlet’s death was “being investigated as a robbery and homicide.”
“We’re going to take time off social media because this is difficult,” the agency wrote. “But we do appreciate seeing the stories from people who knew her. We all agree she was a sweetheart, kind, and gentle. We all love her.”
Law&Crime reached out to the Albuquerque Police Department for details on the investigation into Leone’s death but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
One local media outlet, however, cast doubt on the homicide claims.
According to Albuquerque-based NBC affiliate KOB, police said the March 1 death of a woman at the Mountain Run Apartments is still being treated as suspicious, but not a homicide.
The TV station goes on to cite a police spokesperson who said the department’s preliminary investigation did not discover signs of any physical trauma on the woman in question. Notably, law enforcement have yet to reveal the deceased woman’s name. Authorities are reportedly still waiting on results from the University of New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator to determine her cause of death.
While questions swirl about how Leone passed — and how local law enforcement officials are handling the fact of her death — the popular actress is being mourned and remembered well by her friends and loved ones.
“Sophia was a beloved Daughter, Sister, Grand Daughter, Niece and Friend,” Romero wrote on the GoFundMe, which was closed to donations shortly after passing its $12,000 goal. “She had a deep love for all animals, specifically her 3 pets. She enjoyed traveling and always found ways to make everyone around her smile.”
Using a combination of heart and heartbreak emoji, fellow adult actress Dharma Louise Jones remembered Leone on X.
“[S]he was one of the 1st people I met in the industry when I was new,” the post reads. “We were staying at the same model house & I was having trouble falling asleep because of anxiety. I remember we stayed up & talked all night. I’ll never forget her kindness.”
The Miami-born entertainer had 401 credits to her name, according to the Internet Adult Film Database. She began acting in pornographic films at the age of 18 in the Sunshine State with AMA Modeling.
Brian Berke, who runs the Florida-based agency, has been speaking out about the unexpected death of his friend.
“At 18 years old you started with me at AMA and now at 26 I have to say goodbye,” Berke wrote on X. “We had such an amazing bond. Always reminding each other how much we cared. I was supposed to be your guardian angel. A piece of me is gone. I love you, Sophia.”
Berke also spoke with KOB about Leone’s death.
“It’s just been, you can’t even fathom what happened, and, you know, obviously in this industry so many people care,” he told the TV station. “She was beloved, nobody would ever say a bad thing about her. She was just an amazing girl and I really hope they find who did this.”
Sophia Leone at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. in March 2023.
An image of Leone shared on the fundraiser for her family shows the actress decked out all in pink and white, standing and smiling underneath a cherry blossom tree — a plant that blooms for just a couple, at most a few, weeks around the onset of spring.
That image, from Leone’s Instagram, was taken at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., in late March 2023.
This year, cherry blossom blooms are peaking far sooner than normal.
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