Ronni Chasen Update: Mystery Surrounds Man in Publicist Killing
LOS ANGELES (CBS/KCAL/AP) The man who killed himself just as police zeroed in on him as a "person of interest" in the slaying of prominent Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was considered dangerous by some of his apartment house neighbors, but friendly by others.
One person said the man they knew as Harold Martin Smith bragged about killing Chasen and was waiting to receive the $10,000 he was promised for the hit.
But police say it's still not clear if Smith played any role in the murder.
In fact, a Los Angeles TV station quotes sources as saying ballistic reports on Smith's weapon came up negative.
"There is an even chance that Harold Martin Smith has absolutely nothing to do with the Ronni Chasen murder," says Harvey Levin, executive producer of celebrity website TMZ.com.
What is certain about Smith is that he was an armed career criminal possibly looking at another stretch in prison.
Documents obtained Friday by The Associated Press reveal that Smith was a convicted, two-strikes felon with a long criminal history.
The 43-year-old had most recently been released from prison in 2007 after a robbery conviction. He was discharged from parole last year and had told neighbors at the seedy Los Angeles apartment building where he lived that he would never return to prison.
He ensured that on Wednesday, when Beverly Hills police detectives, armed with a search warrant, approached him in the shabby lobby of the Harvey Apartments, told him to take his hands out of his pockets and said they were there to talk about Chasen's killing.
Smith pulled a gun from one of those pockets and shot himself in the head.
Police say it's possible Smith had no connection to the murder.
"At this time, it is unknown if this individual was involved in the Chasen homicide," Lt. Tony Lee said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times Friday.
He reiterated that Smith was a "person of interest" rather than a suspect. He said undercover officers were following a tip from the Fox TV program "America's Most Wanted" when they approached him.
However, as a convicted felon with a gun, Smith likely knew he was in trouble no matter what he told police, criminal experts say.
Chasen, 64, was shot multiple times as she drove through Beverly Hills in her Mercedes from a party after attending the premiere of the movie "Burlesque." She was promoting the film's soundtrack for an Oscar nomination.