Chasen Case Closed

The case is closed for the murder of Ronni Chasen, the Hollywood publicist who was gunned down in Beverly Hills after leaving a party for the movie “Burlesque” Nov. 16.

Police pursued the possibility Chasen was the victim of a “hit,” but have concluded she died at the hands of a lone gunman – a 43-year-old career criminal named Harold Smith who shot Chasen as she attempted to make a turn at an intersection.

Smith, who may have fled the scene on a bicycle, had reportedly bragged about getting paid $10,000 to kill Chasen; he killed himself when police tried to question him, according to the police.

The determination by the Beverly Hills Police Department will not likely sit well with several colleagues of Chasen who told the Los Angeles Times they question the official story. The homicide rate in Los Angeles in 2010 was the lowest for the city in 45 years.