From the Gene Files 3/1/2000- Police are working on what stands now to be an uncontestable theory that agent Hal Guthu took his life in a very elaborate suicide, that Guthu cleared out all his property, set fire to his place and shot himself this past Sunday night. Both forensics and a coroner’s report now support this theory, according to police. Police originally worked on the notion that Guthu may have been murdered but have since ruled that out.

According to photog David Story who knew Guthu for 35 years, it wasn’t likely that someone would have gotten the drop on Guthu and would have robbed him. “Nobody snuck up on him,” said Story. “His desk faced Santa Monica Blvd. He could see out. Nobody could see in. You couldn’t get in unless he buzzed you in. He was never in on the wekends unless he was building a set. He would not have opened the safe for anybody, even if he had a gun to his head,” said Story. “He wasn’t the type.” Story said he thought Guthu was fairly wealthy, owning several apartment houses and a big home in the Valley. “In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him outside the studio,” said Story. “He was very secretive.”

Information is that Guthu’s car was found several blocks from his place of business. Story said that was odd because Guthu couldn’t walk and always parked in the back of his office. According to Story, Guthu was going to will everything to his female partner, Carol, the “C” in CHN International. Guthu’s pet parrot was a gift from Carol and wasn’t found in the building.

Although theories had been advanced that money problems may have been the cause for Guthu’s suicide, that has been ruled out. Speculation is that Guthu may have received medical information that was unsettling to him.

Update: Guthu Had Inoperable Spine Cancer

In information that had not been previously released, it’s now been acknowledged that legendary, 78 year-old talent agent Hal Guthu was suffering from spine cancer and had left a suicide note to that effect. Photog David Story who knew Guthu over 35 years, has been piped into this tragedy. According to what Story learned from police and other sources, police found the suicide note in Guthu’s car which was parked several blocks away from his 7400 Santa Monica Blvd. business address. “I guess he took everything out of the studio,” said Story. “Hal had two kids. He was married twice. He said in the note that he had spine cancer. I guess he liquidated everything for his two kids which he found in England last year or they found him. It is assumed that everything went to them.”

According to Story, Guthu was going to give his pet bird to Carol, his female business partner, whom he had once lived with at the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate where they raised monkeys. Carol’s wherabouts, however, are currently unknown. Guthu, however, decided that the bird would probably die of a broken heart and took the bird with him. “Hal had this studio for 25 years but thought that nobody could take over the business for him, so he took it with him,” Story said. Guthu supposedly shot himself in the heart. “That shocked me,” said Story. “Hal wasn’t the type that would have done that. I thought Hal would take pills. But I guess he got to the point, being 78 with inoperable cancer, he said what-the-hell He emptied both safes, and I’m sure that he had maybe $50,000 worth of [camera] equipment there. Everytime he saw a power pack, he bought it. But none of that was there. He planned this. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

This is what the LA Times has reported so far: “The discovery of a charred body after a fire that gutted the offices of a West Hollywood modeling and acting agency has triggered homicide and arson investigations.

Police said the body of a man, who has not been identified, was found in the offices of CHN International Agency in the 7400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard after a fire Sunday afternoon. The building appeared to have burned in several places at once, indicating arson, authorities said.

Sheriff’s investigators, looking for the owner of the agency, 78-year-old Harold Guthu, brought in a bloodhound, which found his car several blocks away on Martel Avenue. Clients and colleagues said the agency specialized in placing people in soft porn magazines and films, but also dealt with some mainstream films.

Lauren Montgomery said she had been a client of Guthu’s for three years and that he helped her get a bit part in the Warren Beatty movie “Town and Country.” She described Guthu as “the sweetest man you ever met.”

In 1970, Guthu shot a film with adult/soft porn director Ed Wood Jr. Reb Sawitz, another adult-model agent, had been trying to contact Guthu after the fire. “He’s one of the good guys in this industry,” Sawitz said.