Fears grow for safety of missing Katy Perry songwriter

Entertainment

Fears are growing over the safety of a singer, songwriter and model who co-wrote Katy Perry’s hit Walking On Air, who has gone missing in Beverly Hills.

Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen on Thursday 29 June according to the California Department of Justice’s missing persons’ page.

Officers were notified of her disappearance earlier this month, a month after friends and family were unable to make contact with her, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Her 2010 silver Ford Fusion car is reported to have been captured on CCTV on the night after she was last seen, but has not been seen since.

She is also understood to have been evicted from her apartment shortly before she went missing. Her 19-year-old cat Morris is also missing.

Friends of the Swedish-born musician now say they fear she could have been kidnapped.

Her friend, fellow-model Cecilia Foss, told The Independent it was out of character for Leierth-Segura not to be in touch, and said: “My worst fear is that someone has her, and is hurting her.”

Ms Foss also told ABC7 eyewitness news she feared the worst, saying: “I’d like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah”.

Speaking on the same outlet, neighbours have said they haven’t seen the musician in weeks, noting that the previously well-tended plants on her balcony were now dead.

‘Extremely worried’

Another friend, Liz Montgomery – who filed a missing person’s report for Leierth-Segura in the first week of August – urged for help on social media, posting on Instagram: “This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE – HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023,” she wrote.

“We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately”.

‘Time is of the essence’

A GoFundMe page set up by Leierth-Segura’s sister in Sweden says: “We are extremely worried about her safety and despite our efforts, the local police have not been able to locate her.

“If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately”.

The fundraising page goes on: “She means the world to us and time is of the essence! Her family and loved ones in Sweden plead for your help!

“Please spread the word -share this fundraiser and help us bring Camela home safely”.

Around 30,000 Danish Krone have so far been raised, with the family say will go towards putting up a reward and covering expenses including costs for private detectives.

Aside from co-writing Walking On Air, Leierth-Segura recorded a cover of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra’s Some Velvet Morning alongside Swedish death metal band Entombed, and has released songs on YouTube and Spotify under her stage name Camila Leierth.