Nobody's Buying The Ronni Chasen Murder Story
Via @kausmickey, from Deadline Hollywood, about the police's lone gunman on a bike in Beverly Hills theory:
Police said the TV crime-fighting show America's Most Wanted "played a crucial part in this investigation". A tip came into the AMW studio and the show put BHPD in contact with the tipster who wishes to remain anonymous. "And we're going to respect that, as is America's Most Wanted," Publicker said. "There is the possibility that the tipster will be entitled to the reward money."Responding to media questions, Publicker also gave more information about Smith and the crime. "We believe that his mode of transportation was by bicycle," said the sergeant, who indicated that the police theory at present is that Smith was riding a bicycle -- his only means of transportation, according to his neighbors -- when he shot and killed Chasen in a robbery gone horribly wrong. The police said they don't think Smith ever even came into the car or touched Chasen's purse after she crashed into the lightpole, so he came away with no money. Publicker did reveal a bicycle was found at Smith's suicide scene and it was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department and will be turned over to BHPD. "Preliminarily, we believe it was a random act and we believe that Ms. Chasen was going to be the victim of a robbery," Publicker added. He agreed with one reporter's scenario that Smith came up alongside Chasen on a bicycle and shot her at the corner of Sunset and Whittier in Beverly Hills around midnight. "It's still an ongoing investigation, but we believe he was intending to rob her," Publicker noted.
The police probe is about "60%-70% done" as of today, said Publicker but there is a lot of information that still needs to be obtained. "We want to eliminate every possibility that other people were involved." But Publicker also said about Smith that "the detectives were able to do numerous interviews, and from the information obtained in the interviews, it appears that he did act alone." the sergeant also noted that "there was a question posted earlier whether Mr. Smith knew Ms. Chase. It does not appear at this time that there's any connection between the two. ... And we do not believe he was a paid hit man, no." However, what is surprising is that Smith had the presence of mind to cover up his involvement in the crime because, Publicker noted, "there were no shell casings found at the scene of the crime."
Commenters on another story say there would be no spent shell casings if the killer used a revolver. I'm no gun expert, and Gregg's asleep, so I have no idea.
No casings form revolvers, they stay in the gun, unless he dumped and reloaded. NO time to read the story right now, but that I do know.
momof4 at December 11, 2010 6:59 AM
Mom's right (and aren't moms usually right?) In a revolver, the shell shell casings stay in the gun until you empty them.
Police have the gun he committed suicide with and apparently used to shoot this woman; since they're surprised not to find casings, I assume it's a semi-auto. Semi-autos eject the casings and, if they're not there, it may indicate that someone picked them up. Picking up shell casings takes time; they don't always land where you think they do. Would someone in a botched robbery take the time out to do that? And if he had that much time, why not take the money?
Of course, it could be that he didn't pick them up and the police just can't find them. They bounce and roll, etc.
LauraB at December 11, 2010 8:30 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/12/11/nobodys_buying.html#comment-1797467">comment from LauraBmomof4 and I sometimes disagree on things, but she's a smart cookie and knows a few things.
There are people, if there were some debacle, that you'd want to be in the same cave with, and she's one of them. I, unfortunately, am probably not one of them, but I hope people would keep me around to tell stories or something.
Amy Alkon at December 11, 2010 8:40 AM
This is the beverly hills PD, need I say more?
ron at December 11, 2010 9:48 AM
Has any one at BHPD called Axel Foley?
I R A Darth Aggie at December 11, 2010 1:22 PM
If a hitman wanted to fool the cops into believing a revolver was used it's as simple as using a semi-auto brass catcher such as this . . .
http://www.sherwoodakuna.com/
Jay J. Hector at December 11, 2010 2:08 PM
Now, I used to live in Florida, but I'm no geography wiz. Can someone explain this sidebar/squib from the Daily Mail piece linked above?:
Um, isn't that kind of like looking for Calais from Liverpool?
Crid [cridcomment at gmail] at December 11, 2010 3:35 PM
There are people, if there were some debacle, that you'd want to be in the same cave with, and she's one of them. I, unfortunately, am probably not one of them, but I hope people would keep me around to tell stories or something.
I'd keep you around. Imagine how boring life in the cave would be with nobody to talk to or even worse, if everyone agreed with every word out of your mouth!
Kristen at December 11, 2010 5:14 PM
This quiz and the accompanying prose should explain the entire firearms issue.
But, Amy, you should be familiar with this - you link to Cornered Cat.
Radwaste at December 11, 2010 5:30 PM
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