The Strangest Crimes of 2010 Publicist Ronni Chasen Murdered in Beverly Hills; Robbery Suspect Kills Self
It was just after midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 that Beverly Hills, Calif., police officers responded to a shots fired call in the area near Sunset Boulevard and Whittier. The shots were heard shortly after a collision involving a black Mercedes Benz in the same area. When officers arrived, they noted that the Mercedes had crashed into a light pole, and they observed a lone female occupant inside the car with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to her chest. She died shortly after arrival at a local hospital. Investigators quickly identified the victim as Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen, 64. Detectives learned that Chasen had left the premiere of the film Burlesque, a short time before the shooting. After receiving an anonymous tip, detectives developed information that led them to ex-con Harold Martin Smith, 43. Smith shot and killed himself with a handgun as investigators approached him in the lobby of his apartment building. Police contend that Smith acted alone in a botched robbery attempt when Chasen was killed. Chasen left behind an estate valued at $6.1 million when her will was written in 1994, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Photo: LAPD detectives stand outside the Harvey Apartments in Los Angeles, California, where ex-con Harold Martin Smith fatally shot himself. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) |
advertisement
|
-
our sites
-
video
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
