The husband of an Alabama mom who led a secret life as an online sex siren was today arrested over her murder - despite insisting her death was a 'boozy accident'.

Marilyn Monroe lookalike Kathleen West, 42, posted wholesome photos of her 12-year-old daughter and husband Jeff enjoying suburban family life in Calera, Alabama, on her social media accounts.

But the curvaceous blonde 'model' also operated a subscription-only adult website where she peddled selfies in lingerie and skimpy outfits under her alter ego 'Kitty Kat West'.

Jeff West was arrested on Thursday morning, five weeks after his wife, Marilyn Monroe lookalike Kathleen West, 42, was found dead outside the couple's Calera, Alabama, home

Before her death, Kat, as she was known to pals, posted wholesome photos of her 12-year-old daughter and husband Jeff enjoying suburban family life. But the curvaceous blonde 'model' also operated a subscription-only adult website where she peddled selfies in lingerie and skimpy outfits under her alter ego 'Kitty Kat West'

Jeff West, a former US military policeman and campus security guard, was arrested at his home on Thursday on a murder charge

Kat, as she was known to pals, was found dead lying face down across the street from her home on the morning of January 13 when a neighbor left for work.

She was partially clothed with her cell phone placed beside her lifeless body and an empty bottle of absinthe balanced on top of it.

Five weeks on, police arrived at the property Thursday morning to take her 44-year-old husband, a former US military policeman and campus security guard, into custody on a murder charge.

West has never commented publicly on his wife's murder and DailyMail.com can reveal how he invited only a tiny smattering of relations to her funeral last month before she was buried in an unmarked grave.

In conversations with friends, however, the heavy-set, balding father-of-two insisted the death was purely an accident and he never had a problem with his wife's online activities.

One close confidante, Mike Waters, wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post seen by DailyMail.com: 'I was able to talk to my friend Jeff last night in length. In the upcoming days true facts will be coming out.

West has never commented publicly on his wife's murder, but friends shared comments about the incident on Facebook pages. One close confidante, Mike Waters said the 'true facts' would be coming out days after Kathleen's death

Kat (left in a recent photo, and right in a high school photo) was found dead lying face down across the street from her home on the morning of January 13 when a neighbor left for work. She was partially clothed with her cell phone placed beside her lifeless body and an empty bottle of absinthe balanced on top of it

Kevin Wachs, 51, who surveyed the work of the forensic teams from his back window after Kathleen's death, told DailyMail.com he was amazed the police didn't tape off the West household or the driveway. He snapped a photo of the officers (above) as they investigated the scene

'And everybody will find out that this was a terrible accident, that involved excessive alcohol consumption .... Absinthe!'

Another friend who spoke with DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity insisted West knew his wife was an online seductress and even 'got off' on the notion she was desired by countless men.

'She was a sweet lady who was fun, playful and loved to tease either sex,' dished the source. 'I know Jeff was well aware of whatever it was she or they were doing.'

Kat and her husband were last seen together the night before her death buying the absinthe at a local liquor store.

A video retrieved by Inside Edition showed the two looking relaxed and 'normal' inside the business, with West even giving his wife a playful pat on the rear.

But at 5am the next day the stay-at-home mom, also a member of a subscription site for desirable over-35-year-old women called The Cougar Club, was found dead in the street in just a sports bra.

Jeff West, a heavy-set, balding father-of-two, has insisted Kathleen's death was purely an accident. He also told friends that never had a problem with his wife's online activities

West, pictured above with his wife on their wedding day, invited only a tiny smattering of relations to Kathleen's funeral last month before she was buried in an unmarked grave

Kat smiled with her 12-year-old daughter in photos on social media in the months before her death

Jeff West was arrested at his home in Calera, Alabama, on Thursday. He was taken to the Shelby County Jail

She was face down in a pool of blood and the cause of her death was thought to be a suspected blunt trauma head wound.

Locals told the AL.com website that West emerged from his home, asked what was going on and showed little emotion when informed his wife was dead - before stubbing out his cigarette and going inside.

With police not releasing any immediate details of a potential suspect or indicating that Kat may have been hit by a car, suspicion soon centered on her husband who declined repeated requests for comment.

The killing spawned several online Facebook groups and local 'web sleuths' took to posting photos of West's every movements online, feverishly speculating that he butchered his wife after discovering her raunchy online antics.

But in truth the housewife had done little to hide her activities, posting links to her paid-for material on Twitter and saying on Instagram just six days before her death: 'Happy sinful Sunday. New pics up on site. Please check out my subscription.'

Kat was found dead in the street outside her home in just a sports bra on January 13. She was face down in a pool of blood and the cause of her death was thought to be a suspected blunt trauma head wound

Kat and her husband were last seen together the night before her death buying the absinthe at a local liquor store

A video retrieved by Inside Edition showed the two looking relaxed and 'normal' inside the business, with West even giving his wife a playful pat on the rear

In a city with an average of one homicide a year, locals thirsty for details or an arrest accused the Calera Police Department of ineptitude or staging a cover up.

Kevin Wachs, 51, who surveyed the work of the forensic teams from his back window was one of numerous residents who told DailyMail.com they were amazed the police didn't tape off the West household or the driveway.

He was also puzzled as to why he didn't see cops combing local woodland for clues, perhaps any clothing that may have been stripped from the victim's body.

'I saw one officer searching Kat's yard with a flashlight - that was about it,' he said.

'The general consensus is everyone wants answers. We are all a little nervous, we are on edge: do we have a killer in neighborhood? Is he going to strike again?

'I don't know if the police are in over their heads, or if they don't know what they're doing, or if it's a cover up. If they just said they had a person that would settle everybody down.'

AL.com reported that West, who has a second teenage son with an ex-wife, was taken to the Shelby County Jail and that police will reveal further details of the charges later today.