women with with £350,000 worth of shoe collection Darlene Flynn, beaten to death by toyboy boyfriend

Darlene Flynn’s shoe collection made her famous around the world. She was named the ‘Queen of Sole’ and her collection was so impressive that she was officially granted a Guinness World Record. One very special pair of heels even bagged Darlene a toyboy lover… but there was trouble in shoe paradise.

Mum-of-one Darlene, 58, was well known in her home town of Menifee, California, and soon word of her shoe collection spread across the world. She was called ‘The Shoe Lady’ or the ‘Queen of Sole’ and her fame was well deserved. Darlene owned around 15,000 pieces of shoe-related memorabilia and they were crammed into her home.

One shoe even led Darlene to find love herself. She adored socialising, and on a night out in a local bar, she attracted the attention of Justin Smith – a man almost 30 years younger – by wearing her ‘sexy light-up shoes’. They danced all night and it wasn’t long before Justin, 29, moved in with Darlene.

The couple argued constantly and the neighbours knew they were a volatile couple. By July 2013, they were still living under the same roof but their relationship had broken down. Justin became her lodger. 

Money was a big bone of contention between the pair. Darlene had even gone to the small claims court at one point and said that Justin owed her £7,500. And Justin had been sentenced to a three-year probation for taking Darlene’s car and selling it.

On July 21, the couple argued yet again – this time over £30 that Justin owed Darlene for putting fuel in his truck to help a friend move house. Darlene was tired of Justin taking advantage of her and told him she wanted him to move out.

The next day, police received a call saying there was a domestic dispute at Darlene’s home. Neighbours reported angry shouting. When officers arrived at the single storey ranch home at 2pm, they saw a shirtless man running away from the scene. Then
they found Darlene’s body floating in the pool in her back garden. 

She’d been beaten around the head with a baseball bat with such force, the bat had broken.

The prime suspect was Justin. He was arrested later that day walking down a road. He was charged with murder and held on a £750,000 bail.

"I don’t remember what happened," Justin told an officer. "I just lost it."

Justin explained they’d argued the day before over the £30 petrol money.

"She started pounding me in the chest with her fists," Justin was recorded saying. "She threw Tupperware at me from the kitchen. I asked her to calm down, and we went to bed."

But the argument carried on the next day when Justin slept in.

"She started shoving me down the hallway saying 'You’re an idiot, you’re garbage, get out,’" explained Justin. "She was making me feel like a bad guy."

Justin said he was planning to leave but was so angry he later attacked Darlene when she was sitting in the shallow end of her pool. The bat had been in the corner of the lounge, where the couple kept it for self-defence, in case of burglars. Justin pleaded not guilty.

women with with £350,000 worth of shoe collection Darlene Flynn, beaten to death by toyboy boyfriend