Ronni Chasen Murder Was a Botched Robbery: Cops

They believe the man who killed himself was her killer
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 8, 2010 5:53 PM CST
Ronnie Chasen Murder Was a Botched Robbery: Cops
This image provided by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office shows Harold Martin Smith.   (AP Photo/Jackson County Sheriff's Office, File)

After all kinds of Hollywood-esque twists and turns, police think they've settled the murder of publicist Ronni Sue Chasen. It wasn't a professional hit, just a robbery gone awry. And despite their earlier view to the contrary, they think her killer is Harold Martin Smith, the man who shot himself when officers approached him, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The gun Smith used to shoot himself is the same gun that killed Chasen, according to ballistic tests. "It was a random act of violence, more a robbery gone bad," says a Beverly Hills police sergeant. Police think Smith, who has a long arrest record and bragged of the killing, acted alone and may have approached her car while riding his bike. (More Ronni Chasen stories.)

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