CALERA, Ala. — The husband of Kitty Kat West was arrested yesterday and charged with murdering the online model.
After more than a month’s-long investigation that spurred national interest with intense coverage on shows like “Inside Edition,” police arrested and charged husband William "Jeff” West with her murder.
Kitty Kat West had a large following on Instagram, racking up 52,000 followers on her Instagram account, where it was filled with lingerie and bikini shots, as well as a link where users could check out more-revealing adult content on her subscription-only page on OnlyFans.com.
West, 42, touted herself on social media as a stay-at-home mom. Records show she launched her adult identity in 2016.
Jeff West, who remains in the Shelby County Jail with bond set at $500,000, allegedly hit Kitty Kat West with a bottle of Lucid Absinthe, according to AL.com.
The warrant stated Jeff West, a college campus police officer, did, "with the intent to cause the death of another person ... caused the death of Kat West."
Police said she passed away after struck with blunt force to the head; the exact location where she was assaulted, whether it was outside or inside her house, was not disclosed.
Police also noted that West was killed Friday night, Jan. 12. Her body was discovered about 5 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13.
A neighbor who was on her way to work at a fast-food restaurant found her body. Kat West was wearing only a sports bra. A mobile phone was nearby with a green bottle on top of it, which witnesses said appeared staged, according to AL.com.
Jeff West “was a suspect in the very beginning,'' Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley said at a press conference.
Lemley said he couldn’t speak to what led up to the homicide and what, specifically, made Jeff West their primary suspect.
He said that forensic analysis came back on Tuesday and the case was then submitted in its entirety to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office for review and warrant consideration.
"A lot of evidence was collected and it takes time to process,'' he said. But “we know exactly what happened that night. And we do have evidence to support that."
Pictured: Kitty Kat West, with inset photo of Jeff West in a mugshot taken yesterday.
