On February 2, 2003, police were summoned to the home of legendary rock producer Phil Spector, best known for creating the "Wall Of Sound" on hits like the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." One of Spector's neighbors, having heard a gunshot, called police to the estate in Alhambra, CA, where investigators found Clarkson and declared her dead at the scene. Initial police reports say that the reclusive producer, long known to be an eccentric and gun enthusiast, met the officers saying "I think I just killed someone." He was immediately charged with the murder and began his trial in May 2007.
Latest Developments
December 7, 2007: Well, strap yourselves in. It seems like the second Spector/Clarkson trial may not get underway until at least September 2008; with all but one of the famed producer's defense team having jumped ship after the first mistrial, willingly or otherwise, Spector needs another defense attorney, and his last remaining lawyer, Christopher Plourd, is backed up until the fall. San Francisco attorney Doron Weinberg has agreed to take the case, but says he'll need five months to read through the more than 10,000 pages of transcript from the last trial. Therefore, Judge Larry Paul Fidler has set the retrial date for May 26, but Weinberg is shooting for September 26, 2008 -- exactly one year to the day that the mistrial was declared.
October 3, 2007: Los Angeles District Attorney spokesperson Sandi Gibbons confirms that, in private meetings between the principals, the Phil Spector / Lana Clarkson retrial has been set to begin sometime in the spring of 2008.
September 26, 2007: The Phil Spector / Lana Clarkson murder trial was declared a mistrial today by Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who reached his decision on the basis of two jurors who refused to withdraw their verdicts of "not guilty," feeling that the possibility of suicide, the lack of blood on Spector, and the miscommunication between he and his chauffeur caused reasonable doubt in their minds. A spokeswoman for the prosecution, Sandi Gibbons, told reporters, "We’re disappointed the jury was unable to reach a verdict in this case and we will immediately begin preparations for a retrial." Motions to that effect will be filed when the principal parties convene again in court on October 3.
October 3, 2007: Los Angeles District Attorney spokesperson Sandi Gibbons confirms that, in private meetings between the principals, the Phil Spector / Lana Clarkson retrial has been set to begin sometime in the spring of 2008.
September 26, 2007: The Phil Spector / Lana Clarkson murder trial was declared a mistrial today by Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who reached his decision on the basis of two jurors who refused to withdraw their verdicts of "not guilty," feeling that the possibility of suicide, the lack of blood on Spector, and the miscommunication between he and his chauffeur caused reasonable doubt in their minds. A spokeswoman for the prosecution, Sandi Gibbons, told reporters, "We’re disappointed the jury was unable to reach a verdict in this case and we will immediately begin preparations for a retrial." Motions to that effect will be filed when the principal parties convene again in court on October 3.
Background
Legendary Sixties rock producer Phil Spector -- a millionaire at 21, and "The First Tycoon Of Teen," to quote a famous article -- has always had a prickly personality, but after the failure of his 1966 Tina Turner single "River Deep, Mountain High," which he took as a personal rebuke, he became a virtual recluse. During this time, according to ex-wife Ronnie Spector, he also became physically and emotionally abusive, locking her inside his mansion and refusing to let her leave. Artists he's worked with, from John Lennon to the Ramones, have reported that Spector, a noted gun enthusiast, has pulled a weapon out in the studio on more than one occasion. At his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1989, Spector appeared onstage flanked by three bodyguards who each had one hand inside their jackets. He's also remarked to at least one British writer that he is on medication for schizophrenia, and has claimed to have "devils inside... that fight me." None of this proves that Spector is a murderer, of course, but it does mark him as a troubled, controlling, and paranoid personality.
On the night of February 2, 2003, the legendary producer visited the Los Angeles House of Blues, where he met hostess Lana Clarkson, a former b-movie starlet best known for her role in Barbarian Queen. Clarkson and Spector eventually returned to his 33-room faux-castle mansion in Alhambra around 3 a.m.
At approximately 5 a.m. Adriano De Souza, Spector's chauffeur, claims to have seen the producer emerge from his home carrying a gun, with blood smeared on the back of his hand. "I think I killed someone," Spector allegdly told De Souza, who immediately called the police. When the authorities arrived, they discovered Clarkson, slumped in a chair, dead from a shot to the mouth. In custody, Spector claimed to have accidentally shot Clarkson.
