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Tipster Who Led Police to Ronni Chasen's Murderer is Suing for Reward Money
When Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was shot six times in her car on her way home from a movie premiere, the film community was shocked. So shocked, in fact, that two men who knew Chasen offered up a hefty reward for anyone who provided information about her killer.
Well, someone did, and now he claims that Harold Matzner and Michael Levine are reneging on their promise of reward money totaling $125,000.
According to the Huffington Post, police were short on leads for a while after Chasen's murder. But then a tipster called in to the show "America's Most Wanted," claiming that he lived in the same building as convicted felon Harold Martin Smith, and had heard Smith make statements that linked him inextricably to the murder.
Police followed up on the lead, and when they showed up at Smith's house, he fatally shot himself in the head.
The case was closed, but Matzner and Michael Levine have refused to pay the tipster, identified only as John Doe. Matzner, for one, said that he won't cough up the dough because the killer wasn't arrested and convicted, per the terms of the reward.
Doe has filed a lawsuit claiming fraud and breach of contract.
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