Paul Gentile Smith, 58, died in Los Angeles on January 14, 2014. His death closed a long, violent story that began with the 1988 killing of his friend and marijuana dealer, Robert Haugen. Haugen was stabbed multiple times, nearly decapitated, and his body set on fire; Smith was convicted in connection with that killing and was serving a life sentence without parole after a 2010 judgment.

The prosecution relied on forensic evidence and testimonies, including jailhouse informants. Later disclosures raised questions about the sheriff’s department’s use of informants and whether the defense had been properly informed. Smith was also implicated with his girlfriend, Tina Derae Smith, in an alleged conspiracy to commit aggravated assault against the lead investigator in the homicide case.

There are unresolved questions about the role informant testimony played in securing the conviction and how those practices affected the case’s integrity. Does anyone have information about Smith, Haugen, or the investigation that could shed light on those issues?