Dec 8 2010 07:04 PM ET

Ronni Chasen killer 'acted alone,' according to Beverly Hills police

Filed under: News

The Beverly Hills police have confirmed that Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was murdered by the same weapon that suspect Harold Martin Smith used to kill himself as police were closing in on him at his Los Angeles apartment. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that at a press conference today, police chief David Snowden said, “We believe that Mr. Smith acted alone. We don’t believe it was a professional hit.” Another detective at the press conference, Sgt. Mike Publicker, added, “This was a random act of violence. With Mr. Smith’s background, we believe it was a robbery gone bad.” The investigation, however, is still ongoing.

Read more:
Ronni Chasen: ‘Person of interest’ in publicist’s murder kills self
Ronni Chasen laid to rest
Ronni Chasen, longtime Hollywood publicist, shot to death in Beverly Hills after leaving ‘Burlesque’ premiere

Comments (21 total) Add your comment
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  • Anna

    I’m no conspiracy theorist, but something about this story is just not adding up.

    • Chris

      Totally agree. I thought the first reports were the guns didn’t match. And that the person feared being picked up for robberies. Seems all to crystal clear to me.

      • Joe

        also the gunman was in the passenger side of the car, who was driving? police work at its best here folks!

      • crazy police

        Robbery Attempt?? The person didn’t even steal her purse and the investigators said they never even tried to go in the car. And you’re right Chris, they said the first time that the gun did not match. I have a feeling someone gave Harold a lot of drugs so that he would run his mouth, I have a feeling that the person who wanted her dead is still out there. This is so scary reading about how the police are handling this.

      • scared

        First they said it was a large vehicle like an SUV and now they changed their mind and are saying it’s a bicycle. I’m officially scared! Who hires the CA police? Please start hiring some better smart minded police!

      • investigate more

        Maybe someone told Harold that if he takes the gun and starts telling neighbors that he did it, they would then give him drugs in return.

      • v

        I agree with you that he was hired. They find a dumb low life drugy thats got nothing to lose to either kill her or pretend that he did and they make him keep the gun in his apartment. I hope the police keep working on the case a lot.

      • donut police

        Way to go beverly hills police! I think almost every celebrity is probably never going to leave their house again because of this type of police work!

      • what

        Why do they believe he acted alone? The neighbors said that he said he was hired. Shame on the bv police. They shouldn’t toss the neighbors information out the window like that.

      • what

        A bicycle rider tries to rob someone on a boulevard instead of trying to rob someone who is parking on a street? A bicycle rider? Yep…That guy was hired.

    • Jace

      I love everyone doing all this awesome detective work based on media information… Oh lordy.

  • wtf

    ok. please someone let me know if I’m wrong (which i’m sure people will) but wasn’t it reported by several news sites yesterday the gun was NOT the weapon that killed the publicist? just asking

    • The Jackal

      I read the same thing, then BOOM! it’s the same gun. I didn’t read anything about the case between those two stories.

  • Heather

    Well gosh. I guess BH Police have been extra nice to have Santa wrap this up in a bow for them! /sarc

  • Mitch

    You’re a conspiracy theorist.

  • Huh

    How did this scenario morph from a shooter firing from a high angle into the right side of her car to a theory of a lone nutcase on a bicycle attempting to rob her from the passenger side of her car? Please get some competent investigators on this case ASAP, as the BHPD is looking laughable spouting this nonsense. I’d believe Randy Quaid’s imaginary “star whackers” killed Chasen before I’d believe some lunatic ex-con with a bionic, turbo-charged, levitating bicycle managed to pull alongside the passenger side of a powerful luxury car in order to attempt a robbery and somehow managed to kill her before she could speed away or run him down!

    • DZ

      LOL at “bionic, turbo-charged, levitating bicycle!” And so true. Everything just wrapped up rather nicely. Those BH cops are so good!

    • Kim

      Maybe there is something to the Quaids’ story after all.

    • Hera

      He must have fired from the window of the Texas Book Depository.

  • tomm

    Oh you internet nerds know everything.

  • Rolo Tomasi

    They said she was robbed on Sunset, waiting to take a left onto Whittier Drive, which would mean Smith would have been in the middle of the busy street on his bicycle when he allegedly fired the shots. And there were no witnesses?

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