Beverly Hills police said that a botched burglary attempt by the career criminal who committed sucide was behind the murder of slain PR QUEEN RONNI CHASEN.
Chief Snowden told press gathered outside the Beverly Hills Police station that on December 1 they received the tip from America’s Most Wanted that Harold Smith may have been connected to the shooting.
Police also revealed that a prelim ballistics report matches the murder weapon to the one that Smith used to kill himself.
A prior report from KTLA-TV said that the ballistics did not match the murder weapon.
Final results are expected within the next two weeks.
Sergeant Mike Publicker said that the shooting could have been done by someone on a bicycle. A bicycle was taken into evidence at the scene of Smith’s suicide.
Publicker denied theories of a "mob hit" and that it was a "random act" and that law enforcement authorities now believe Chasen was "the victim of an intended robbery."
According to Publicker, "the investigation is 60 to 70 percent done" and police do not believe he was a "paid hit man."
Before his suicide, Harold Smith was a "person of interest" in the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. He had bragged to neighbors that he’d killed Chasen and was awaiting a $10,000 payment.
"I’m very proud that this loyal AMW viewer had the guts to call our hotline to help solve this case,” John Walsh of America’ Most Wanted said.
“It’s my hope that the Chasen family will now have some answers."
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