Drugs, Cash Were in Anna Nicole Smith's Death Room

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Aug 6th 2010 07:43AM

Drug bottles, a duffel bag full of cash and Anna Nicole Smith's sobbing boyfriend were found in the Florida hotel room where the Playboy model died of an overdose three years ago, a police detective testified Thursday.

Detective Katherine Frank was the first witness to take the stand in the trial of Smith's lawyer-boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and two doctors who have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to supply the model with vast amounts of powerful opiates and sedatives.

Smith, 39, was found dead in the Hollywood, Fla., room in February 2007.

Frank testified that shortly after her body was found and taken away, Stern fell to his knees in the room and began crying.

"He was visibly shaken with reddened eyes, tears and trembling," Frank said.

The account was elicited by Stern's lawyer, Steve Sadow, who has said Stern was in love with Smith and all his actions were directed at trying to help her.

The detective said a duffel bag found in the room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel contained more than $8,000 in cash.

Smith's bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt told police he was owed the money and demanded they hand it over, but they refused, Frank testified.

Brighthaupt was expected to testify Friday.

Under prosecution questioning, pharmacist Olga Kopetman identified multiple prescriptions written by defendant Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, a psychiatrist, to Anna Nicole Smith, Vicky Marshall, which is Smith's real name, and three other names, including Stearn, a misspelling of Stern, from 2003 to 2006. They were filled at a pharmacy in Studio City.

Some were for the painkiller Vicodin and anti-anxiety drugs Xanax and Zoloft. Others were for sleep and anti-seizure medications, the pharmacist said.

Stern paid for the drugs, Kopetman testified, with one bill totaling $4,474.

Kopetman and another pharmacist, Emma Avakian, testified that Stern frequently picked up drugs prescribed by Eroshovich, and that they never saw Anna Nicole Smith pick up her own prescriptions, which often included large quantities of drugs with refills available.

Avakian said one prescription for Valium provided 240 pills and was refilled after just three weeks.

Avakian said she was concerned about the amount of narcotics because "a patient can overdose and too much of it can kill them."

On cross-examination, Sadow asked if a patient taking many of the drugs over a long period would build a tolerance. Kopetman said that was possible, and the patient would have to receive larger doses for the drugs to be effective.

Superior Court Judge Robert Perry has said Smith's cause of death is not an issue in the trial of Stern, Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. The defendants are not accused of causing Smith's death.

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Tags: Anna Nicole Smith

Comments

(48)

Friday 06 August

By LARGEHUMAN

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Why do we always look for someone to blame except the addict ???

By WILL

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EMMA I NEVER SAID I KNEW THEM...I WAS JUST POSTING MY OPINION , HOW CAN YOU NOT STAND ME IF YOU DONT EVEN KNOW ME , KINDA LIKE WHAT YOU SAID...STAY IN SCHOOL EMMA

By lolomgwthdidyoujustsay?

Pamela, that was horribly painful. My eyes are bleeding now.

Thanks a bunch, love.

Sunday 08 August

By SKALEKALEB

A POWERFUL ADDICT LIKE BELUSHI,ELVIS. ANNA. WILL GET RID OF U AND GET ANOTHER YES MAN . I THINK THE LAWER NERD LOVED HER AND CARED FOR HER. THE SON ???? WHO KNOWS

By nikki

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anna nicole was a talentless bimbo who married a man aged 90 for his money. she knew what she wanted; money, fame, drugs. she wasn't naive, young girl. she died as a victim of her own vile behavior. she made her own choices, nobody told her what to do.

Monday 09 August

By donna

I agree with wil

Thursday 12 August

By Suzzie

No wonder Anna acted so goofy on tv. She was full of drugs all the time. Stern should have left her long ago. He was a lunatic for being mixed up W/ her. Soooo glad he was not the father of Anna's child.

Wednesday 01 September

By raven scarberry

do you people not understand that there just people like us they go through rough patches and they get through them what ever way they want too we will never know the truth we are not the first account witnesses and i wouldnt want to bebecause if this were to happen to my family i wouldnt want people talking about me and predicting or speculating what haopend i would tell them they died but its part of life noone thought it was there time to go noone made her go it just happend its life and everyone goes through it.

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