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The Killing of Anna Nicole Smith
Valentine's Day 2007. The body of model, actress, former U.S. Playmate of the Year, and international celebrity Anna Nicole Smith, dead of an apparent drug overdose, lay in a morgue in South Florida, decomposing at an alarming rate. No one could decide where to bury her. Enter Judge Larry Seidlin, and twenty-nine lawyers. The six-day trial that followed heard explosive testimony: That Anna Nicole's mother, a lifetime police officer with a nose for foul play, had predicted her death just months before. That Howard K. Stern slept on a couch downstairs while Anna Nicole and Larry Birkhead made love upstairs. That Stern, her lawyer, smuggled a duffle bag full of drugs into the hospital room of a pregnant Anna Nicole while she was under a doctor's care for her drug dependency. Under oath, both Stern and Birkhead claimed to be the father of Anna Nicole's baby daughter, Dannielynn. Was Anna Nicole Smith murdered? Did she commit suicide? If she died from a drug overdose, was it accidental or intentional? And what about Anna Nicole's son, twenty-year old Daniel, a young man who did not have a drug problem, dead just a few months before from a methadone overdose? Was Daniel murdered? Was his overdose accidental or intentional? It always came back to the drugs. Judge Larry Seidlin captivated America, and the world, during the six-day trial in which he laid bare the ugly reality of prescription drug abuse among celebrities, and the role enablers play in their addiction, and sometimes their death. Judge Larry Seidlin is convinced the original investigations into the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel were seriously flawed. He believes that someone committed manslaughter, through reckless conduct, in the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Judge Seidlin believes that reckless conduct also led to the death of her son. He points out the similarities between the drug deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson. In The Killing of Anna Nicole Smith, Judge Seidlin presents damning evidence and explains, for the first time, why he thinks justice eluded Anna Nicole Smith.
337 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2010
33 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 17, 2013
I think the book was ok. The judge did put his all in this case for the well being of Danniellynn. I just thought that the judge got off topic by talking about his own experiences, but I guess he was building his character as a rightful judge. I always thought Howard K. Stern was one shady character, but thats just my opinion. Anna Nicole was around enablers, its sad to say she enable herself and the biggest one was the one she trusted the most.
September 22, 2012
Although the writing was not spectacular, the point that got across was a very true one. Judge Seidlin did an excellent job in recounting the facts on the trial. Overall what a tragic life Anna Nicole Smith lead. I do believe that all the evidence shown, does point fingers to Howard Sterm. He was an enabler, and to be honest I might even go as far as saying that he might have given something to Anna's son before his death. Money makes people do crazy things and it was obvious that Howard was mooching off of Anna. Who knows, maybe he got greedier and wanted to get rid of Daniel first and then Anna, after all he knew he would be left as the executor of her estate.
The comparisons that were brought forth in this book between her and Michael Jacksons death were errily similar and very sad. These 2 superstars had enablers when it came to their drug abuse and sadly no one stopped them. Let these 2 cases be a wake up call to celebrities. Some of the moochers in their lifes might just be there to mooch off that mean after the celibrity dies.
The comparisons that were brought forth in this book between her and Michael Jacksons death were errily similar and very sad. These 2 superstars had enablers when it came to their drug abuse and sadly no one stopped them. Let these 2 cases be a wake up call to celebrities. Some of the moochers in their lifes might just be there to mooch off that mean after the celibrity dies.
November 29, 2014
Interesting read and subject matter, but it really could have used a serious edit.
December 17, 2021
I glad that I waited 10 years before picking this up. By this time, I had neutralized myself of bad reviews and media coverage on Judge Larry Seidlin. Now I'm able to focus on what this book has to offer and be objective with it. Not exactly without prejudice though. I had personal opinion of Anna Nicole Smith since the first time I saw her; featuring in those sensational Guess? advertisement early 90s. I love those ads you know.
I have no regret reading this. It's captivating and unputdownable. It has the most revealing facts and info that laid bare the prescription drug abuse by that big beautiful doll and the role her enablers played that led to her early death.
Quote from Judge Seidlin:
"In this book, we will explore whether Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose, as announced by Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief medical examiner for Broward County, or from foul play. Why did Howard K. Stern, as an alleged enabler, allow Anna Nicole to remain on drugs? Was it so, he could remain with her and control her person and property?"
I agree that her death smelled rat. Even when she still alive, her mother, a retired sheriff warned it will be her turn next. That's not long after her son suspicious death in the Bahamas. For the judge, whose instinct sharpened from boyhood spent in a shady neighbourhood of Bronx; it pointed to Howard K Stern, who was there when both deaths took place. I believed, Judge Seidlin purposely prolonged the trial. So some Attorney General will pick up hints, witness statements, evidence and facts provided by testimonies and dispositions from the 6 days trial that he presided and do something about it. Yeah, the Californian Attorney General picked it up and charged those enablers. There are appendixes of these trials inserted.
Judge Seidlin eccentricity and self-glorification aside, I agreed with most of the observations he concurred. He presented us on how and why justice eluded Anna Nicole Smith and Daniel Smith. That left a bitter taste of strong injustice. But at least Judge Seidlin had tried his best. From his experience as a probate judge, he predicted that battles between the estate of Anna Nicole Smith versus E. Pearce Marshall will prolonged beyond 2010 when this book published. So true.
I have no regret reading this. It's captivating and unputdownable. It has the most revealing facts and info that laid bare the prescription drug abuse by that big beautiful doll and the role her enablers played that led to her early death.
Quote from Judge Seidlin:
"In this book, we will explore whether Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose, as announced by Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief medical examiner for Broward County, or from foul play. Why did Howard K. Stern, as an alleged enabler, allow Anna Nicole to remain on drugs? Was it so, he could remain with her and control her person and property?"
I agree that her death smelled rat. Even when she still alive, her mother, a retired sheriff warned it will be her turn next. That's not long after her son suspicious death in the Bahamas. For the judge, whose instinct sharpened from boyhood spent in a shady neighbourhood of Bronx; it pointed to Howard K Stern, who was there when both deaths took place. I believed, Judge Seidlin purposely prolonged the trial. So some Attorney General will pick up hints, witness statements, evidence and facts provided by testimonies and dispositions from the 6 days trial that he presided and do something about it. Yeah, the Californian Attorney General picked it up and charged those enablers. There are appendixes of these trials inserted.
Judge Seidlin eccentricity and self-glorification aside, I agreed with most of the observations he concurred. He presented us on how and why justice eluded Anna Nicole Smith and Daniel Smith. That left a bitter taste of strong injustice. But at least Judge Seidlin had tried his best. From his experience as a probate judge, he predicted that battles between the estate of Anna Nicole Smith versus E. Pearce Marshall will prolonged beyond 2010 when this book published. So true.
March 13, 2023
There were so many spelling and grammatical errors in the preface and chapter 1, that I couldn't even be bothered to finish reading the book. I don't know how this made it through editing and publication.
October 5, 2014
The Killing of Anna Nicole Smith
This is an incredibly sad sad story. Wish those responsible for enabling irresponsible drug activity within her inner circle were held far more accountability then it wound up to be. Shame on them! Great quick read by the judge that had first hand knowledge of abuse but was not legally able to bring it to justice. Glad she was finally buried with her son. That was the only decision that made sense. Just wish it was in the states.
This is an incredibly sad sad story. Wish those responsible for enabling irresponsible drug activity within her inner circle were held far more accountability then it wound up to be. Shame on them! Great quick read by the judge that had first hand knowledge of abuse but was not legally able to bring it to justice. Glad she was finally buried with her son. That was the only decision that made sense. Just wish it was in the states.
April 22, 2015
Did this book even have an editor? This is, quite possibly, the most poorly written book I have ever read. The narrative by Judge Seidlin was completely self-indulgent, narcissistic and made zero sense. I literally had no idea what he was talking about 95% of the time. I had to force myself to read only the transcript of the court case portions of the book, which were quite interestng. But even those were completely FULL of typos and errors.
May 25, 2016
The story was fascinating but the writing was abysmal. No wonder this judge has attorneys submit proposed orders to him. The editing was also woefully lacking. "Ex party communications" and "hearsay" for heresy were two of many errors.
April 15, 2012
Couldn't even finish this book. What a waste of time.
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February 29, 2024DNF. Terrible writing. The author just had side conversations in the book. Then went back to present day. Finally got to the courtroom and it was dreadfully boring. Only paid $1 at the library sale.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews