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In 1998, Christine Smith, West's elderly mother had been suffering from alcoholism and disappeared in
February of that year. West claimed she sent her mother to live with her brother in California. Police had initially believed the story until February 5, 2001, when Christine's body was discovered in
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were found on the corpse which meant the body was either put into the garbage can immediately after death or while the person was still alive. The prosecution determined that West killed her mother in order to benefit from
Christine's monthly $ 1,000 Social Security checks. West was found guilty of
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In 2004, West requested a retrial, maintaining her claim that her mother had died of natural causes. The prosecution argued that "there was ample evidence to convict West of first-degree murder". In 2012, West attempted to escape from
Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center by walking out the
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In 1994, West married Howard Simon St. John. In May of that year, Simon St. John filed a spousal abuse claim after West allegedly assaulted Simon with a .32 handgun. The charges were dropped later that month. Two weeks later his body was found near Lower Coffee Camp in
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for the murder of her mother, Christine Smith in
February 1998. Though officially convicted of one murder she is suspected to have killed 3 people including her brother and husband. She was also suspected in the attempted murder of Diane Smith.
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In 1993, Travis Smith disappeared. Though a body was never found, West was accused of having connections to Travis's disappearance after it was discovered that a man had checked into
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a garbage can by a Las Vegas storage unit. West explained that her mother had died of natural causes and in a panic West stuffed her mother's body in a garbage can.
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and violence from a young age. Her mother, Christine Smith, had numerous affairs and often neglected West and her brother, Travis Smith.
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While
Brookey's father, Leroy Smith, was dying of cancer in 1996, West was suspected of assaulting Diane Smith with a stun gun.
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182:(born June 28, 1953) is a convicted American murderer who is currently sentenced to life imprisonment at the
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using Travis's social security number and the bill was sent to an address where West was residing.
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West was covered in the 6th season of
American true-life crime television series,
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West was arrested on
September 5, 2001. Neal Haskell, a forensic entomologist at
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Witch: The Bone
Chilling True Story of US Murderer Brookey Lee West
464:"Murderer attempts escape from women's prison in North Las Vegas"
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Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas' Most
Notorious Female Killer
410:"The Truth, Revealed by Bugs: The Case of Brookey Lee West"
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first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at
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West grew up with her father, Leroy Smith, who taught her
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301:Girl Monster: The True Story of Brookey Lee West
254:front entrance. She was caught and reprimanded.
304:. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
263:. She was also featured in the 5th season of
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384:"Body in Nev. turns attention to Tulare Cty"
248:Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center
184:Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center
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83: 1994; body discovered
530:Crimes involving Satanism or the occult
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237:suspected foul play due to the lack of
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438:"Convicted killer may get new trial"
298:Sarah Sanchez (September 12, 2016).
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510:American people convicted of murder
436:Pordum, Matt (September 21, 2004).
408:Svoboda, Elizabeth (May 11, 2009).
382:Spencer, D.C. (February 24, 2001).
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462:Mower, Lawrence (July 20, 2012).
213:Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
117:Life imprisonment without parole
500:20th-century American criminals
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279:List of homicides in Nevada
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505:American female criminals
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525:Suspected serial killers
468:Las Vegas Review-Journal
241:on the corpse. Instead
221:Springville, California
235:Saint Joseph's College
70:Howard Simon St. John
388:Porterville Recorder
361:. Ebury Publishing.
355:Glenn Puit (2012).
328:Glenn Puit (2005).
107:First degree murder
415:The New York Times
166:Imprisoned at
368:978-0-09-194728-6
341:978-0-425-20719-2
334:. Berkley Books.
311:978-1-5376-2369-6
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489:Categories
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239:blow flies
197:witchcraft
191:Early life
37:1953-06-28
273:See also
201:Satanism
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128:Victims
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363:ISBN
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85:1994
31:Born
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