Man Murdered at Home of Former CNN Host and Canadian TV Personality

A man identified as Canadian actor Richard Hong was found murdered early Friday morning at the Hollywood Hills home of former CNN host and Canadian TV personality George Stroumboulopoulos.

Los Angeles Police Department media spokesman Drake Madison told Variety that a Hollywood-area officer responded to a burglary call at 2:17 a.m. in the 6700 block of Milner Road. He found a male, “apparently victim of a homicide,” at the scene. Madison said witnesses saw a black man — described as thin, 5’8,” sporting short hair, and wearing a dark jacket — fleeing west on Milner Road, south on Las Palmas Avenue. The crime occurred in Whitley Heights near Franklin and Highland avenues.

Stroumboulopoulos tweeted on Friday afternoon that he was in New York City when the crime occurred at his rental home, and that 41-year old Hong was a “dear friend” of his.

“Many of you have seen the reports of a homicide which occurred early this morning in the home I rent in Los Angeles,” he wrote. “I only have a few details but it seems like it was the result of a break in. The victim was a dear friend of mine, who was staying at my place while I was away. I am heartbroken.”

“I am writing this on a plane en route to Los Angeles from New York, so I can be with my friends there, who are also devastated,” he added. “There’s so much to say but I’m at a loss for words so just love your people and I will have more to say when we know more about what happened.”

TV and radio personality Stroumboulopoulos is best known as a former VJ for the Canadian music TV channel MuchMusic and host of the CBC Television show “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.” He also hosted a short-lived, hour-long CNN talk series called “Stroumboulopoulos” in 2013.

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