Hub held in slay of XXX Web wife
The husband of an online exhibitionist found slain outside her suburban home was arrested Thursday in her killing, an Alabama police chief said.
William Jeffrey West, 44, is being charged with murder in the death of his 42-year-old wife, Kathleen Dawn West, said Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley.
“He was the suspect from the very beginning,” Lemley said.
Kathleen Dawn West described herself as a fulltime wife and mom on Facebook but lived another life on other social media platforms. With a resemblance to Marilyn Monroe, she posted risque photos with a chance for subscribers to see sexier images for $15.99 a month.
West’s partially nude body was found Jan. 13 by a passing motorist near the curb across the street from her home in the quiet bedroom community of Calera, about 35 miles south of Birmingham. Lemley said she died of blunt force trauma to the head. He wouldn’t discuss how she came to be in the street, whether she was killed inside or outside her house or what police believe triggered the killing.
On Facebook, West had posted lots of selfies, as well as photos of her wedding to William and im- ages of their daughter playing in the snow.
But West seemed like a different person on other online accounts.
With a personal description that included “exhibitionist,” West had a private Instagram account with nearly 52,000 followers that linked to a paid site that featured adult content and “naughty fun.” Some of the images were included on a site for “mature hotties.”
Lemley, responding to criticism that cops hadn’t made an arrest sooner, said the collar was made two days after his officers received the final report on the case from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
He said he believes the husband knew about his wife’s online persona, but wouldn’t say if investigators suspect an argument over that led to the killing.
The couple’s young daughter was not home at the time of the slaying or when her father was arrested at the house Thursday morning.
“It’s a tragedy all the way around for everyone involved,” Lemley said.
Court records aren’t available to show whether West has an attorney.