Like many of her friends growing up in Camarillo, 18-year-old Desiree Goudie was enjoying her summer after graduating from Camarillo High School in June.

And although her mother and stepfather were in the midst of a messy divorce, Goudie spent her time with trips to the beach and parties at friends' houses.

The teen had nice clothes, a new car and lived in a spacious home in a safe neighborhood.

But Goudie's idyllic life was shattered last month, when her mother, Pamela Fayed, 44, was stabbed to death July 28 in a Century City parking lot by an unknown attacker around 6:30 p.m.

What ensued was not only a homicide investigation but public disclosure of an ongoing federal investigation into the Fayed family's Camarillo-based Internet gold trading business and allegations by prosecutors that the two matters are related.

Goudie's stepfather, James Fayed, 45, was arrested Aug. 1 at his ranch home in Moorpark by FBI agents on charges connected with a federal investigation into his business, Goldfinger Coin and Bullion Inc. and its two related websites, Goldfinger Coin and EBullion.

According to Detective Mike Pelletier of the Los Angeles Police Department, James Fayed has also been named as a prime suspect in his wife's death. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the killing, but Pelletier said he expects an arrest will be made soon.

"The investigation is progressing," Pelletier said.

On her MySpace Internet page, Goudie wrote, "I love you, Mom, and miss you more and more every day. Please watch over me and protect me."

Goudie is Pamela Fayed's daughter from an earlier marriage. Pamela and James Fayed had a 9year-old daughter together. It is not known who is currently caring for the younger daughter.

At press time, Goudie had not responded to attempts by the Camarillo Acorn to contact her.

Federal investigation

James Fayed pleaded not guilty Mon., Aug. 18 in federal court to a charge of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

In addition, Fayed filed a request earlier this week asking a federal judge to release $300,000 of the reported $24 million seized by investigators. According to the documents, the money is needed to pay for the Internet servers and computer network server his company uses. His attorney said in the request that maintaining the servers is essential to preserving evidence that proves Goldfinger Coin and Bullion Inc. and its two related websites, Goldfinger Coin and E-Bullion, were not operating illegally.

Prosecutors allege that James Fayed used his company to send and receive more than $20 million in a complicated Ponzi scheme.

According to court records, the company had been under investigation for more than a year, and Pamela Fayed, a co-owner of the EBullion website, had told her attorney in June that she wanted to cooperate with federal investigators. That claim, however, was said to be unfounded by a federal judge, records show.

James Fayed's trial is set to begin Sept. 30. He is being held without bail after prosecutors successfully argued he posed a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Pelletier said having James Fayed in custody means detectives don't have to worry about his location during the investigation.

"Being concerned about his whereabouts is not an issue," Pelletier said.

Federal prosecutors said in court the credit card used at Avis car rental in Camarillo to rent a red sport utility vehicle, which was reportedly seen leaving the crime scene, was issued to James Fayed's company.

The credit card, according to federal investigators, was found at James Fayed's home when he was arrested.

In addition, court records show James and Pamela Fayed were due to appear in court on July 29—the day after she was killed—to hear a judge's ruling that may have resulted in James Fayed's paying $1 million in child support and alimony.

Pamela Fayed was killed after a threehour meeting with her husband and their respective criminal defense attorneys, according to court records. Prosecutors said neither of the couple's divorce attorneys knew about the meeting.

From the time they filed for divorce in October 2007, James and Pamela Fayed had battled over bank accounts that reportedly totaled "in excess of $12 million."

Pamela Fayed's attorneys argued that James Fayed had not given her forensic accountant access to books and records for various business accounts he controlled.

When James Fayed was arrested, investigators reported they found $60,000 in cash, $3 million in gold and 31 firearms at his home on the more than 200-acre Moorpark property.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kent Kelligrew ruled Aug. 7 to name Goudie special administrator of her mother's affairs.

Goudie now has the power to waive attorney-client privileges that existed between Pamela Fayed and her lawyers, allowing detectives to question both Pamela Fayed's divorce and criminal lawyers about conversations they had with the Camarillo woman.

On her MySpace page, just above a picture of the teen and her mother smiling and sitting together on an airplane, Goudie wrote, "Desiree loves and misses her momma."