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Police say parolee probably killed Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen
The scene Wednesday, December 1, 2010 outside the Los Angeles apartment house where a man authorities wanted to question about the murder of publicist Ronni Chasen killed himself as police approached.
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Police say parolee probably killed Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen
Police say parolee probably killed Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen
The case attracted worldwide attention and murder theories that included that someone had hired a professional to kill the high-powered Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. Police say in the end, Chasen was murdered by a desperate convicted felon during a botched robbery. The man - Harold Martin Smith - committed suicide last week.
Police said a ballistics test found the gun Harold Smith used to kill himself as detectives moved in on him last week was the same gun that killed Ronni Chasen.
“This was a random act of violence," Detective Mike Publicker said. "With Mr. Smith’s background, we believe it was mostly a robbery gone bad.”
Publicker said police believe Smith, a transient and convicted felon, rode up to Chasen on his bike as she was stopped in her Mercedes on Sunset Boulevard after a movie premiere – and shot her.
"He was at a desperate point in his life and was reaching out and doing desperate measures.”
Smith reportedly had told neighbors he was in a dispute with his landlord, and promised he would never go back to prison. He shot himself in the head as detectives approached him for questioning last week.
Police Chief David Snowden said Smith, 43, likely killed Chasen without any help.
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"I will tell you that we believe Mr. Smith acted alone," he said. "We don’t believe it was a professional hit.”
Publicker said a caller to the TV show America’s Most Wanted, which did a story on the Chasen killing last month, led them to Smith.
“They contacted us and were able to put us in contact with the tipster."
The caller has requested anonymity.
Various groups had offered a $125,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Chasen's killer.
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