Woman in Belushi Case Surrenders
Cathy Evelyn Smith, who faces murder charges in California in the drug death of comedian John Belushi, abandoned her extradition fight Monday and will return to Los Angeles to face trial.
Smith, who was free on bail pending appeal of a Canadian extradition order, surrendered to Metro Toronto police Monday afternoon, her Toronto lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said.
A U.S. marshal will escort her today to Los Angeles where she will appear in court for arraignment. Greenspan said he had hired Los Angeles attorney Howard Weitzman, who defended auto maker John DeLorean on drug charges, to help defend Smith in California.
Greenspan said Smith decided to waive extradition as a result of “an arrangement” he worked out with Michael Montagna of the Los Angeles district attorney’s office.
He refused to say whether Smith had agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges.
“At present the charges pending are those upon which the indictment was based,” Greenspan said. “I’m quite satisfied with the outcome. What’s happened was in the best interest of my client.”
Smith, 38, was charged in Los Angeles with second-degree murder and 13 counts of administering an illegal substance in Belushi’s heroin-overdose death in March, 1982.
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