Posted: 12/10/2009
A man who is already in jail for another crime, now must defend an open murder charge in another county.
Police say Robert Cheek killed his live-in girlfriend, Valerie Smith, and then bragged about it when beating up his friend.
The murder happened in late April at the home the two shared in Frankfort in Benzie County.
Police found Smith's body in her bedroom after her brother asked police to check on her.
Autopsy results show Smith died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Investigators say they took their time with the case because the main suspect, Smith's Boyfriend Robert Cheek, was already in jail in Manistee County.
In that case, Cheek is accused of beating up his friend, causing serious injuries. Police say that victim thought he was consoling Cheek, who told him his girlfriend passed away.
Police say Cheek then attacked his friend and made a key admission while doing so.
"He made a statement that 'I will bash you like I bashed Val'," said Robert Lozowski with the Frankfort Police Department.
Police say that statement, combined with other evidence collected at the murder scene, is enough to prove Cheek is the killer.
"We were kind of lucky the way it came down," says Lozowski about their suspect already being incarcerated. "It gave us the opportunity to take our time and get it right."
9&10's Ryan Raiche and Photojournalist Jeremy Erickson have the story.
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