Kat West murder: Husband accused of bludgeoning OnlyFans star to death with absinthe bottle as trial date set
CALERA, ALABAMA: The husband of an OnlyFans star, who has been accused of bludgeoning her to death with an absinthe bottle, is set to go trial next month, more than two years after her semi-naked dead body was found outside their home. Kathleen Dawn West, 42, was a stay-at-home mother to a young daughter but had earned quite the following on social media under the moniker 'Kitty Kat West.' She would regularly upload raunchy and revealing pictures of herself and would ask fans to subscribe to her on OnlyFans, a content-subscription website that is popular amongst adult stars.
Her popularity online meant her death hit national headlines. Early in the morning on Saturday, January 13, 2018, her 19-year-old neighbor who was on her way to her job at a fast-food restaurant found her body sprawled outside of her Calera home on Green Wood Circle, reported AL.com. The body was partially in the street and partially in the grass of the across-the-street neighbor's yard. West was wearing only a sports bra, and a cell phone was nearby. It had a green bottle on top that was later determined to be Lucid Absinthe, and which investigators believe to be the murder weapon. The evidence suggested the culprit was West's husband, Jeff West, with television magazine Inside Edition obtaining surveillance footage from R&R Wine and Liquor in Calera that showed the couple in the store for a "date night."
They bought the Lucid Absinthe, as well as a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey, though there appeared to be no tension between the pair. The video showed her laughing and receiving a pat on her bottom from her husband. However, the teen who found her body said Jeff West was not acting right when he saw his wife's body and that his demeanor was off. "It was odd. It was very odd," the teen said. "He walked out like it didn't even matter to him." Her father, who was by her side, backed that sentiment.
He said Jeff West walked outside as he was checked on the 42-year-old's body and said, "What's going on? That's my wife." When he was told his wife was dead, he reportedly put his cigarette out in the street and walked back inside. "He didn't cry, didn't show no facial expressions," the father said.
Jeff West, a former Birmingham Southern College campus security officer and U.S. Army veteran, was taken into custody by the authorities on February 22 that year and charged with murder. An indictment said he caused the death of his wife by "striking her with a glass bottle."
He has been held since then in the Shelby County Jail on a $500,000 bond and has professed his innocence. He insisted he was aware of his wife's online career and that it had never been a problem for him. His lawyer, John Robbins, has protested the exorbitant bond and said it was being used as a punishment even though its purpose is to ensure the defendant's presence in court. "Jeff is certainly looking forward to defending himself at trial of this case," he said. "There is absolutely no evidence that he is a flight risk. He was honorably discharged from Army after 21 years of service; he has no criminal record; he was gainfully employed up until his arrest; he has strong ties to the community and he has a strong desire to clear his name."
Shelby County Circuit Judge William Bostick has set a September 14 jury trial date for Jeff West this past week with a backup date of October 19. A pretrial conference is scheduled for August 24.