Anna Nicole Smith's Jailed Ex: "I Could be Dannielynn's Dad"  2/16/07

Anna Nicole Smith's incarcerated ex-boyfriend has added a sinister new twist to the paternity battle over the tragic model's baby daughter, claiming he could be Dannielynn's biological father.

Mark Hatten, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence after being found guilty of making terrorist threats against Anna Nicole and beating up her neighbor, has written a letter from prison, asking for his DNA to be considered in an upcoming genetic test to determine who the father of the five-month-old is.

Photographer Larry Birkhead and Smith's attorney/companion Howard K Stern both claim to be the father of the child. Stern is named as the father on Dannielynn's birth certificate.

Birkhead's DNA will be tested with that of the baby and the deceased Smith next week (20FEB07).

Hatten feels confident that Birkhead's DNA test will prove inconclusive, and would like the chance to prove he is the baby's father.

In the letter sent to Harvey Levin, the editor of website TMZ, Hatten writes, "I willfully (sic) gave a sperm sample to then girlfriend Anna Nicole Smith, which she gave to a doctor for future use.

"I allege that I could be the father of Dannielynn by means of artificial insemination (sic)... I am formerly requesting to compare my DNA to both Anna Nicole and the infant child Dannielynn."