Jury Finds 'Shoe Lady' Boyfriend Guilty of Murder

A man charged in the death of Menifee resident Darlene Flynn in 2013 was found guilty today of second-degree murder by a Riverside County Superior Court jury.

The sentence of Justin Charles Smith, 32, will include an enhancement for use of a baseball bat as a deadly weapon. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8 and Smith faces 16 years to life in prison, said John Hall of the District Attorney's Office.

According to police, Smith beat the 58-year-old Flynn, his girlfriend, to death with a baseball bat and dumped her body in a swimming pool in the back yard of her residence in the 28000 block of Stone Lane on July 22, 2013. Smith was arrested by officers as he fled the area later that day.

Flynn gained national fame for her world-record shoe collection, which numbered more than 15,000 shoes and shoe-related items. Friends and family members said the two had been in a turbulent relationship for several years.