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The Ronni Chasen Story

Hosted By: Kelly Hyman

Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was murdered Nov. 16, 2010 in an apparent drive-by shooting. Beverly Hills Police Department soon labeled 43-year-old Harold Martin Smith a ‘person of interest’ in the case, but when Smith was approached by police, he shot himself in the head. The murder was pinned on Smith. Years later, unsealed documents shed new light on the investigation, leading to questions about Smith’s alleged involvement in Chasen’s death. Over the course of six episodes, Once Upon A Crime in Hollywood: The Ronni Chasen Story examines the Chasen investigation from the night of her murder to ongoing efforts to uncover the truth about how she was killed. Host Kelly Hyman is joined by several guests, each with unique insight into the Hollywood crime scene, as well as Chasen’s family, former clients and more.

Episodes

Episode 1: Gunned Down in Beverly Hills

In the first episode of our six-part series, we examine the night Ronni Chasen was murdered in Beverly Hills. We discuss her life and career leading up to her final appearance on the red carpet, and what we know about her last moments before her tragic death. Using crime scene photos and witness accounts, we revisit the location where Ronni's car crashed into a light pole on Whittier Drive, and dissect the preliminary details available to the police and media at the time. Who would want to kill Ronni Chasen, and what stands out about a crime of this nature happening in the heart of Beverly Hills?

27:59

Episode 2: A Wide-Open Investigation

In their first update to the public, Beverly Hills Police called Ronni Chasen's murder a wide-open investigation and began serving search warrants at Chasen's apartment and business to collect evidence. Four days after her murder, the case made America's Most Wanted, leading to an anonymous tip that would eventually pinpoint 43-year-old Harold Smith as a 'person of interest' in the investigation. In Episode 2, we discuss the first stages of a homicide investigation and how early media reports impacted the narrative around the case, plus a shocking turn of events when police approached Smith at the now-famous Harvey Apartments.

26:32

Episode 3: The Suspect

The person of interest in Ronni Chasen's homicide, now identified as Harold Martin Smith, had a decorated criminal history, including armed robberies, and had spent considerable time in prison. In Episode 3, we discuss what we know about Harold Smith, his past, and how statements from Smith's neighbors at the Harvey Apartments ultimately shaped the narrative around his involvement in Ronni Chasen's murder.

29:36

Episode 4: Case Closed?

The media frenzy continued in the aftermath of Harold Smith's fatal interaction with police at the Harvey Apartments. Beverly Hills Police requested the gun Harold Smith used to commit suicide to be turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crime Labratory for further testing. After announcing they had a "preliminary ballistics match" to the weapon that killed Ronni Chasen, Beverly Hills Police officially closed the case. In Episode 4, we discuss questions about the ballistics analysis in the case, bold statements made by the Beverly Hills Police Department, and how investigators determined Ronni Chasen was killed in a 'robbery gone bad'.

32:21

Episode 5: Missing Pieces

With Beverly Hills Police all but wrapping up the investigation into Ronni Chasen's murder, media speculation continued about other possible theories, including a murder-for-hire and a rumored gambling debt involving Ronni's brother, Larry Cohen. The rest of Ronni's family drew the spotlight when a copy of her will was published by TMZ, putting scrutiny on who was a beneficiary of Ronni's death, and who wasn't. In Episode 5, we discuss some of the theories surrounding Ronni's family, what insight could be gained from her will, as well as the much-anticipated release of Ronni's autopsy report.

28:43

Episode 6: New Documents Revealed

With Ronni Chasen's investigation officially closed, Beverly Hills Police would be challenged over the next several years to release over 200 pages of semi-redacted documents relating to the investigation. Those documents, reviewed by the Hollywood Reporter, show conflicting information about the evidence implicating Harold Smith, and call into question some of the police department's public statements over the course of the Chasen investigation. In the final episode of our six-part series, we discuss what the documents reveal, and the most significant unanswered questions remaining about Ronni Chasen's murder.

31:56

Meet The Guests

Ann Louise Bardach

Covered the Chasen case closely for The Daily Beast, has also written for Vanity Fair, New York Times, the Washington Post, L.A. Times, and many more. ‘Author of Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington’ and ‘Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana’.

Joshua Ritter

Criminal Defense Attorney, Partner at El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers. Former Prosecutor & Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney. Host of True Crime Daily: Sidebar Podcast.

Carol Connors

Legendary singer/songwriter, 10 major music awards (Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and 2 Oscars), Worked with Ronni Chasen early in her career on “Rocky”.

Jill Gatsby

Ronni Chasen’s niece, Producer, Artist, Singer/Songwriter, Comedian, Novelist, Screenwriter, and Political Pundit, Owner of Big Bear Recording Studios and The Magic Music Rooms (Big Bear City, CA), Author: “A Murder In Beverly Hills”, based on the murder of Ronni Chasen, amurderinbeverlyhills.com.

Barry A. J. Fisher

Senior Forensic Science Advisor, Park Dietz and Associates, Former Crime Laboratory Director, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, (1987-2009), Author: “Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation”.

Myrl Stebens

Licensed Private Investigator, Former police investigator, Instructor at California’s Police Science Institute who specializes in crime-scene processing and 45 years of experience in homicide investigation, state and federal appeals.

Steve Katz

Former showrunner and Executive Producer for America’s Most Wanted.

Gil Carrillo

Retired Lieutenant, 38 years with L.A County Sheriff’s Department.

TMZ Live

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