In 1998, Christine Smith went missing, a case initially deemed unremarkable by the authorities due to her history of alcohol and substance abuse. She was believed to have relocated to California to live with her brother, as her daughter, Brookey Lee West, had informed the detectives. However, three years later, a foul odor led the police to a storage shed in Las Vegas, where they uncovered Christine’s decomposed remains hidden from sight, along with books on witchcraft and satanism.
Initially claiming her mother had died of natural causes, West later confessed to panicking and concealing the decaying body in a bin when confronted by officers. The truth was unraveled through forensic evidence provided by a forensic entomologist, who noted the absence of blowflies and the presence of coffin flies, indicating immediate concealment post-death or while Christine was alive.
West was arrested in September 2001, accused of killing her mother to continue receiving her monthly Social Security checks. Despite her defense asserting Christine’s death was natural and West acted out of panic, the compelling forensic evidence and the state of the remains led to West’s conviction for first-degree murder in 2003, resulting in a life sentence without parole.
Described as “true evil” by the prosecutor, West is currently serving her sentence at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Oregon. Her troubled past, influenced by her father’s teachings of witchcraft and satanism, and a series of suspicious incidents involving family members, including the disappearance of her brother and the death of her husband, have added layers of intrigue to her criminal profile.
West’s criminal activities have extended beyond the murder of her mother, with suspicions of involvement in other cases, making her a subject of interest in the true crime sphere. Despite her imprisonment, she has engaged in unusual behaviors like selling artwork and fingernail clippings online and attempting a daring prison escape in 2012. Her story has been featured in various true-life crime television series, further adding to the mystique surrounding her dark past.
