Kardashian Business Manager Slain; Boyfriend Charged With Murder

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — A Sherman Oaks man is facing murder and torture charges Wednesday after the body of his girlfriend, a high-profile celebrity business manager, was found in her car in Simi Valley last week.

Angela Kukawski, who has managed the affairs of Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj, disappeared Dec.22, and police found her body a short time later in the back of her car on a residential street in the 1500 block of Patricia Avenue in Simi Valley.

"Kukawski's boyfriend, 49-year-old Jason Barker, was arrested on suspicion of murder," according to police. "He was booked into Van Nuys Jail, and since the arrest, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed murder charges on Barker."

Baker was arrested Tuesday and charged on Wednesday.

Kukawski's vehicle was left near the home of one of Barker' relatives, Simi Valley Police spokesman Officer C. Nicholson told the New York Post.

Detectives believe Barker, armed with a knife, killed Kukawski inside their Sherman Oaks home, placed her body inside her vehicle and drove it to Simi Valley, where it was abandoned, police said. Barker was arrested in the nearby apartment of his relative.

According to the D.A.'s Office, Barker was charged with murder and torture. The criminal complaint alleges Barker used a knife in the commission of the crime.

He is scheduled to appear at the Van Nuys courthouse Jan. 12. He remains jailed in lieu of $3.07 million bail, according to the inmate records.

Kukawski worked as a business manager at Boulevard Management in Woodland Hills. She was a mother of five and considered “beloved” in the industry, Variety reported. At Boulevard she specialized in accounting and financial management services for entertainers, athletes and entrepreneurs and advises on asset management, tax preparation, insurance, and estate and retirement planning, among other offerings.

In addition to Minaj and the Kardashians, her clients included Offset and the estate of Tupac Shakur, according to government filings and past associates.

In a statement to Variety, Boulevard Management officials said, "We are saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our colleague, Angie Kukawski. Angie was a kind, wonderful person, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Our deepest condolences go out to all of Angie's family and friends."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.