Eric Charbonneau/Getty ImagesHarold Smith may not have been innocent, but he wasn't necessarily guilty, either.
Smith, the "person of interest" who killed himself when officers tried to serve a search warrant in the course of their investigation into Ronni Chasen's slaying, may not have had anything to do with the publicist's death, Beverly Hills police said Friday.
Well then, who was this guy?
Court records show that Smith, 43, was a career criminal who had spent time in prison for felony robbery. He was most recently charged in 2009 with misdemeanor prowling and marijuana possession.
Undercover officers had been following up on a tip received by America's Most Wanted from a man who claimed to know a "dangerous guy" who was "bragging or talking about [Chasen's death]."
"We gave it to Beverly Hills right away and they rolled on it quite quickly," AMW host John Walsh told the Los Angeles Times, which reported today that Smith's neighbors said that he had vowed to die rather than go back to jail.
"Lots of people confess to crimes they didn't do for their 15 minutes of fame. I'm hoping this isn't just another nutcase," Walsh said.
Chasen was shot to death in her Mercedes Nov. 16 in Beverly Hills after attending the premiere party for Burlesque. Police have for the most part refused to divulge any details of their investigation.