THE MYSTERY of bookkeeper Heidi Planck’s disappearance in Los Angeles has now gone unsolved for two long years – despite being investigated by one of the city’s top murder detectives. 

The mom-of-one vanished on October 17, 2021, after attending her then-10-year-old son’s flag football game earlier in the day. 

She was last seen on security camera footage near a residential building complex in Downtown LA where her dog Seven was found roaming the 28th floor by residents. 

After discovering undisclosed forensic evidence that suggested that Planck, 39, had died at the building, detectives were led to a landfill north of the city.  

No remains were ever found, and although Planck was officially pronounced dead by a judge earlier this year, no other major developments have been announced in the case. 

On the second anniversary of her vanishing, The U.S. Sun can reveal that the investigation has been led by Greg Stearns of LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division. 

The veteran detective has almost 30 years of experience and has worked on several of the city’s most high-profile murder cases.

Planck’s friends and family say they still have full confidence that he will crack this case, even though it is taking longer than they had hoped.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Kimberly Edwards, a friend who was in touch with Planck on the day she vanished, said: “I have complete faith in Detective Stearns and that he is going to ultimately bring justice for Heidi. 

“I believe he is working diligently behind the scenes, that is my feeling. 

“I think there is a reason why he was assigned to this case and I trust that, although this is taking longer than any of us are comfortable with and that is upsetting, he’ll do right by Heidi.”

‘FULL CONFIDENCE’

That sentiment was echoed by Heidi’s ex-husband, Jim Wayne, who was the first to report her missing after she didn’t show up to collect their son from school.

Wayne said: “With all that’s going on, I don’t want to comment right now, but I still have full confidence that Detective Stearns will get to the bottom of this.” 

Previous cases Stearns has worked on include the equally mystifying disappearance and death of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam at LA’s notorious Hotel Cecil in 2013, which was featured in the hit Netflix documentary Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.

Similarly to Planck, the lead-up to Lam’s mysterious death was caught on security camera, with viral footage showing her erratic behavior in the hotel’s elevator on the day she went missing.  

Stearns was also involved in solving one of LA’s most shocking cold cases, the 1986 murder of Sherri Rasmussen in the San Fernando Valley.

He was one of the officers charged with interrogating their fellow LAPD detective Stephanie Lazarus ahead of her 2009 arrest.

Lazarus was later found guilty and sentenced to 27 years for fatally shooting her love rival Rasmussen.

Another case Stearns was instrumental in solving was the “mystery of the Hollywood head” following the discovery of the body parts of an art collector called Hervey Medellin near the Hollywood sign in 2012.  

But despite his talents and track record, Stearns appears to have had no lucky breaks so far in the case of Heidi Planck.

HIGH PROFILE FIGURES

Following news of her disappearance, details began to emerge of Planck’s connections to very high-profile figures. 

At the time, Planck’s boss at investment firm Camden Capital Partners, Jason Sugarman, was under civil indictment by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over a $43million bond fraud scheme that targeted an Indian tribe.

The U.S. Sun later revealed that Sugarman had business connections to President Joe Biden’s embattled son Hunter and a now-imprisoned fraudster with links to the Gambino crime family.

The U.S. Sun also revealed that Sugarman had partied in Hollywood with Jeffrey Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell in 2012.

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Earlier this year Sugarman was ordered to pay $10.2m for his role in the Indian bond fraud scheme. 

Sugarman did not admit or deny the SEC’s allegations against him and was also barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for three years.

There is no suggestion that Sugarman – who has been a minority owner of LAFC soccer team and is the son-in-law of Hollywood mogul Peter Guber – is a suspect in the case of Planck’s disappearance and there is no evidence he had any involvement in her death. 

The U.S. Sun also revealed following her disappearance that Planck had been dating Na’eem Salaam, a high-flying vice president at Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg’s charity. 

Salaam was named last year as the signatory on the deed transfer when Zuckerberg sold a mansion he owned in San Francisco for $31m.

Salaam has never spoken publicly about Planck’s disappearance despite several attempts to contact him by The U.S. Sun. 

There is no suggestion whatsoever that he is a suspect in the case or has any knowledge of what happened to Planck. 

At the time of her disappearance, Planck’s ex Jim Wayne told The U.S. Sun: “I don’t have any worries about him, he’s a great guy.”

‘THAT’S NOT HEIDI’

It has never been officially established why Heidi went to the Hope + Flower building complex in Downtown LA where her dog was found.

But less than two months after her disappearance, The U.S. Sun exclusively reported claims that Planck had died from a prescription drug overdose at a gambling party held there.

Internet sleuth Dawn Heim revealed she had been told during a visit to the building that panicked revelers had disposed of the body through the trash chute.

Those claims were repeated in a lawsuit filed earlier this year against the owners of the building.

Former resident Brittany Stillwell stated in a complaint that the owners were “aware of the illegal gambling, drug distribution, and drug-fueled parties that occurred in Penthouse 4002 of the Hope Tower and led to the death of Heidi Planck in October 2021.”

Her lawsuit continues: “Upon information and belief, Planck died in Penthouse 4002 after encountering a fentanyl-laced item; Planck’s body was thrown down the trash chute after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts.”

The owners of the Hope + Flower building stated last week that they will be filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Stillwell. 

The claims about a drug overdose at a party are disputed by Planck’s friend Kimberly Edwards, who told The U.S. Sun: “I believe what happened to Heidi is related to her work and that there is foul play involved. In my heart, that is what I believe. 

“I do not believe Heidi was there to attend a party. 

“That’s not Heidi, she would not have been comfortable in a party setting because she had a certain amount of social anxiety.

“Anyone who knows Heidi knows that she wouldn’t be at a party taking drugs, there’s just no way. 

“If this were a case of an overdose at a party where people panicked and disposed of the body, I would expect the case to be closed by now. 

“I would have hoped that if somebody had witnessed that, they would have had the decency to call the police.”

The U.S. Sun reached out to the LAPD asking for Detective Stearns to comment. 

A spokesman for the force said: “Unfortunately the investigators can’t make any statement. 

“All they can say is that it is still an open investigation and they are actively pursuing any and all leads.”

The U.S. Sun also reached out to Jason Sugarman and Na’eem Salaam asking for comment but received no reply.