The past eight months have been hell for Dusty Giles and her family.
Christy Giles Cilliers, a California model who was raised in Gardendale, was found fatally drugged on Nov. 13, 2021, when she and a friend were dumped at separate hospitals. Her mother said 10 of the 13 wanted to sign her on as a model, and Christy ended up committing to Wilhelmina Models out of Miami just as she was about to turn 15.Mother and daughter traveled back and forth between Corner and Miami.
“It wasn’t like I left her on the side of the street,’’ Dusty said. “They grow up fast. They’re street-wise.”She basically “couch surfed” while taking assignments in London, Peru and Mexico, eventually earning enough money to get her own apartment. “Christy and Jan spent their days together traveling the world, cooking dinners in their kitchen, and snuggling with their cats.”But the idyllic turned to the unthinkable on Nov. 12, 2021.
They headed to Soho House West Hollywood, a private club to which Christy and Jan belonged. There was to be an art exhibit opening, followed by a couple of after parties in different locations. During one of the after parties at the warehouse, the group of women are said to have encountered three men: David Pearce, 37, Michael Ansbach, 47, and Brandt Osborn, 42.
Not long after they arrived, Christy sent Hilda a text that read, “Let’s get out of here.” It was followed by the wide-eyed emoji.Phone records show Christy read that text but did not reply. There were no more texts sent, no more phone calls made, and no more pictures posted to Instagram by either Christy or Hilda.The following morning, Christy’s husband started calling her to see how her night went.
Toxicology reports showed multiple drugs in the systems of both victims. Christy, Dusty said, had both GHB, the “date rape drug,” and fentanyl in her system.