Property Searched in Probe of Slaying

Detectives have confiscated a bicycle, undeveloped film, clothing and documents from the home and office of a Redondo Beach man whose wife’s body was found in the trunk of her car last month, officials said Friday.

Redondo Beach police and sheriff’s detectives served Jeff Smink with search warrants for his condominium in the 2400 block of Felton Lane and his office at TRW early Thursday.

Smink told investigators that he last saw 51-year-old Madolyn Smink at their home before she left to go shopping about 8 p.m. on Dec. 15. Four days later, her body was found in the trunk of her car, parked in the 13500 block of Doty Avenue in Hawthorne, not far from the couple’s home.

Police said bruises on her arms, wrists, hands and head showed that she had been involved in a struggle. They believe that she may have been strangled or choked to death, but the cause of death has not been officially determined.

Jeffrey Brodey, Smink’s lawyer, said his client was surprised by Thursday’s searches because he has been cooperating with police throughout the investigation.

“He’s never resisted any reasonable request,” Brodey said. The attorney said police have “been through the house before, they’ve been through the office before, and all by his consent. There was no reason for the search warrant.”

Brodey said his client feels he is being terrorized by police.

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“It really was a total fishing expedition,” Brodey said. “I think it shows that they really don’t have any case and they have just focused on him to some extent because they don’t have any other suspects.”

Police have said that they have several leads, but not enough evidence to narrow the investigation to one suspect.

According to Redondo Beach Police Det. Doral Riggs, investigators hope that DNA tests on tissue and blood found on Madolyn Smink’s body and in the car will provide definitive evidence to identify the killer.