Pay and Tell

Reopening the Belushi case

For a week after Comedian John Belushi's death last March, sensationalist headline followed sensationalist headline. Finally, it seemed, all the ugly details were out. The dissolute star had died from an injected overdose of heroin and cocaine--a "speedball."* Public interest wandered on to more seemly news. But now comes a squalid epilogue: Cathy Smith, 35, a sorry hanger-on who was apparently the last person to see Belushi alive, has claimed that she gave him numerous drug injections, including the fatal one. Smith, a Canadian, is in Toronto, and she has not been charged with any crime. Still, the police and district attorney in Los Angeles have reopened the case. Says Prosecutor Michael Genelin: "We have a wanton and willful act that was done, clearly overlooking the dangers involved. She might be charged with second-degree murder."

Smith, who was arrested for heroin possession in 1981, has a history of seeking reflected fame. She is known as a Hollywood groupie who supplied drugs to the stars. Her confessions appeared in the sensation-mongering National Enquirer. The Enquirer, which reportedly offered to pay Smith for her story just after Belushi's death, is rumored to have promised her $15,000 for the recent interview, giving her some of the money now and the remainder later if she talks to no other reporter for two months.

Days after the Enquirer article appeared, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner disclosed that police never interviewed Actors Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, both of whom were seen partying with Belushi a few hours before he died. Police officials lamely explained that De Niro and Williams were difficult to contact because they are superstars. Charged the Herald Examiner: "The police department's rush to close the case had all the earmarks of a cover-up." Responded Commander William Booth, aide to Chief Daryl Gates: "We conducted a good, thorough investigation."

On Friday, two Los Angeles detectives arrived in Toronto, intent on talking to Smith.

Unless Smith chooses to repeat her confession for the police, she probably is in no more jeopardy now than before the Enquirer article. Indeed, her lawyer says she may file suit against the tabloid, which Smith claims misrepresented her. In any event, says Booth: "You can't get a criminal filing based on what's in a newspaper." If you are Cathy Smith, though, you can get some attention. -

*Heroin, a depressant, and cocaine, a stimulant, combine to produce a more potent euphoria than either drug taken alone.

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