Christine Smith’s disappearance in 1998 initially seemed unremarkable to law enforcement due to her history of alcohol and substance abuse. Her daughter, Brookey Lee West, informed detectives that Christine had relocated to California to live with her brother. However, suspicions arose three years later when a foul odor in February 2001 led authorities to a storage shed in Las Vegas.
Inside the shed, investigators made a gruesome discovery – Christine’s decomposed remains were found wrapped and concealed, along with books on witchcraft and satanism, adding a chilling dimension to the case. West’s narrative shifted when she was confronted again, claiming her mother had passed away naturally, and in a state of panic, she had hidden the decaying body.
The investigation took a decisive turn when forensic analysis of insect specimens revealed an absence of blowflies, indicating the body had been concealed immediately after death or even while Christine was still alive, contradicting West’s account. Subsequently, West was arrested on September 5, 2001, on suspicion of murdering her mother for financial gain.
Despite West’s defense arguing that Christine died of natural causes and attributing West’s actions to panic, the compelling forensic evidence and the horrific condition of the remains led to her conviction in 2003 for first-degree murder. She received a life sentence without parole, with prosecutors describing her as “true evil” and labeling the case as extraordinarily heinous and bizarre.
Currently serving her sentence at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, West, now 72, has been linked to other suspicious incidents including the disappearance of her brother in 1993 and the violent death of her husband in 1994. Despite maintaining her innocence in those cases, West’s criminal history and the macabre details surrounding her mother’s murder have cast a dark shadow over her past.
Moreover, West’s troubled upbringing, marked by familial neglect and exposure to witchcraft and satanism from a young age, has raised further questions about her turbulent life. Her involvement in various criminal activities, along with her attempts to escape custody and capitalize on her notoriety through online sales, paint a picture of a deeply troubled individual with a disturbing past.