By TOSHEENA ROBINSON-BLAIR
January 31, 2008
January 31, 2008
After Death of Daniel Smith
The coroner’s inquest into the death of Daniel Smith, the son of the late reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith, continued Wednesday with a father and son – both South Carolina real estate developers – taking the witness stand.
The two, once close friends of Ms. Smith, are embroiled in a legal dispute with her estate over the ownership of the Eastern Road house – known as Horizons – where she lived while in The Bahamas.
G. Ben Thompson was the first witness to take the stand, and testified about the events surrounding the 20-year-old’s death on September 10, 2006.
Mr. Thompson described the former Playboy Playmate as "a very dear friend" who stayed at his houses at different points in time.
He told the court that the last time he saw Daniel was the night before he died.
Mr. Thompson recalled that although the 20-year-old was skinnier and a little paler than usual, he was "extremely happy" to see his mother and his newborn sister, Dannielynn.
Mr. Thompson recalled how Ms. Smith’s attorney turned companion, Howard K. Stern, called him the day Daniel died.
"He said, ‘Ben you need to get to the hospital as quick as you can. It’s not good’," the witness recounted.
Mr. Thompson said he arrived to find Ms. Smith screaming and holding on to her dead son as Mr. Stern looked on.
The developer said he witnessed Mr. Stern take three to four pictures of the deceased because "they might be worth some money one day."
Under cross examination, Shaka Serville – a member of Mr. Stern’s legal team – sought to argue that the photos were taken by his client to convince a distraught Ms. Smith, who was in a state of denial, that her son was really dead.
Mr. Serville called the witness’ statement a "fabrication."
The witness was adamant that Stern made the remark.
"I was totally shocked he was taking pictures of a dead child laying in that bed," Mr. Thompson said.
Mr. Serville said the witness’ statement about money was born out of animosity toward Mr. Stern because – as the executor of Ms. Smith’s estate – he’s the only thing standing in the way of Mr. Thompson’s sale of Horizons.
The other witness in the day’s proceedings, Mr. Thompson’s son, Ben, testified that he and his brother-in-law Ford Shelley witnessed Mr. Stern get rid of two pills found in a pair of jeans previously worn by Daniel.
Corroborating testimony given by Mr. Shelley on Tuesday, the younger Thompson said Mr. Stern told them in getting rid of the pills he "took care of a problem."
Ben described the pills as being egg shaped and white.
He also testified that in February 2007, he photographed a bottle of methadone at the Horizons house. He said he later turned the photograph and his statement on the matter over to the California Justice Department.
During cross-examination, Mr. Serville sought to show that at the time Mr. Thompson took the photos an injunction barring him and his father from the property was in effect.
The attorney pointed out that the methadone claims came after the legal wrangling over the house started.
The inquest resumes on March 17, when the last four witnesses, including Dannielynn’s father Larry Birkhead and Mr. Stern, are expected to be called to the witness stand.
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