Jasmine Fiore’s Mother on Ryan Jenkins: He Was a Professional Con Man

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Lisa Lapore, the mother of slain swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore, believes that her daughter’s murder suspect Ryan Jenkins was a phony man who preyed on women.

“This man was a professional con man,” Lepore said on Monday’s “Today Show” in an interview with Ann Curry. “He targeted women, I believe. He wanted to be something that he wasn’t. He wanted to be and have what Jasmine had. She was for real. She earned what she had. He was a fake.”

The 32-year-old Jenkins, a contestant on the VH1 reality show “Megan Wants a Millionaire,” was found dead Sunday of an apparent suicide at a secluded motel in Canada. He had been on the run for a week after police discovered Fiore’s mutilated body in a trash bin on Aug. 15 in Buena Park, Calif. Lapore said she had a “mixed reaction” after learning Jenkins was dead.

“It brings some closure to what’s been going on,” she explained. “We don’t have to worry about looking for him anymore, or being worried that he’s a threat to any other women or men. But, she added, “We still have a long process of closure.”

Robert Hasman, a former boyfriend of Fiore’s, said he was glad that Jenkins seemingly ended his life.

“I was happy that he killed himself,” said Hasman.

Fiore and Jenkins tied the knot in Las Vegas on March 18 after a brief courtship. The pair’s relationship was rocky from the start, with Fiore having her husband arrested for domestic assault soon after their wedding day. They eventually separated before reconnecting again earlier this month.

“She [was] a grown woman, and all of the men in her life have been incredibly loving, good men,” said Lapore. “I supported her when she split up with him. She didn’t really need him. She had a lot going for her. She had good friends. I just encouraged her in her separation. It’s kind of all you can do.”

Fiore and Hasman reportedly spent time together in Los Cabos, Mexico just prior to the model reconnecting with Jenkins. But in the days before she was found dead, Fiore was in San Diego with Jenkins. During the trip, Hasman said he received several text messages and e-mails from Fiore, who said she was coming to visit him in Sin City.

“The last text I received from her was about 1:45 in the morning on Friday,” said Hasman. “She wanted to come to Las Vegas. She wanted to come and see me. Her last message was, ‘I’m coming.’ “

When asked if the messages may have sent Jenkins over the edge, Hasman said: “I can only assume that that might have been the cause, his motive.”