Shoe world record holder found dead in swimming pool

A woman who shot to fame for owning more than 15,000 pairs of shoes has been found dead in her swimming pool.

Darlene Flynn, 58, who spent 12 years building the huge collection that earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, was found in her backyard pool. 

Police were called to her home in Riverside, California, after neighbours complained they could hear a man and woman yelling at each other.  As they arrived a shirtless man was seen running away from the house.

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Her ex-boyfriend, Justin Charles Smith, 29, has been charged with murder. Ms Flynn had been beaten with a baseball bat, prosecutors said, and it was unclear how long she had been dead when her body was discovered.

The shoe collection was worth an estimated $500,000 (£325,000) and included a replica of Cinderella's glass slipper and her grandmother's wedding boot.

The objects of her obsession took over her home. She even built a garage to house her shoes and shoe-related paraphernalia.

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The collection earned her the nickname 'the shoe lady' and 'the queen of sole'.

Speaking to the Guinness World Record in September, 2012, she said: "It is awesome and a dream come true."

Friends claim her relationship with Smith was volatile. Small claims court records show she alleged he owed her nearly $10,000.