The Piketon Massacre: New Trials, New Sentences—An Update on the Rhoden Family Murders
In the heart of Beverly Hills, just after a red-carpet movie premiere, the life of Ronni Chasen, one of Hollywood's most connected and beloved publicists, came to a violent and mysterious end. On November 16, 2010, the 64-year-old was gunned down in her Mercedes-Benz while stopped at a red light. The shocking murder of the woman who helped secure Oscar Gold for films like Driving Miss Daisy and The Hurt Locker instantly made national headlines.
Ronni's influential friends quickly offered a combined $125,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. This massive reward signaled that her inner circle wasn't convinced the killing was a random act.
A tip to America's Most Wanted led police to Harold Martin Smith, a man with a lengthy criminal record living in a rundown apartment complex. When confronted by detectives, Smith ended his own life with a .38 caliber revolver.
The Beverly Hills Police Department officially closed the case in 2011, declaring Smith the sole killer and the motive of a random robbery gone wrong.
However, this "solved" status remains highly controversial due to several glaring contradictions:
Ronni's purse was untouched and nothing was taken, contradicting the robbery motive.
Police claimed Smith was on a bicycle, but her autopsy report suggests an unknown vehicle pulled up beside her car.
The ballistic evidence was inconclusive; documents revealed the findings were "insufficient for an identification" to definitively match the bullet to Smith's gun.
Law enforcement was criticized for failing to interview multiple residents and for poor evidence collection.