Phil Spector
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He was convicted of second-degree murder last April for the 2003 killing of Clarkson, whom he shot at his 30-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles.
It took two trials to convict him, since the first one was a mistrial after the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision. Lana Clarkson, who was 40 at the time of her death, had been working as a hostess at House of Blues, and went home with Spector that night.
Spector's Brazilian chauffeur, Adriano De Souza, said his boss appeared to be drunk and that Clarkson was initially reluctant to go home with him. She was found dead in the foyer of his house in the early hours of the morning.
A holster that matched the revolver that Spector used to kill her was found in a drawer in the foyer. Spector's chauffeur called authorities, saying: "I think my boss killed somebody.”
He told jurors Spector had said: "I think I killed somebody." The defense argued he had misheard his employer.
Finally there’s some closure on this case. Imagine how relieved Lana Clarkson’s family must feel, after dealing with this for 6 years! The sentence means that Spector must spend at least 19 years in prison before being eligible for parole. If not paroled, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
April 13, 2009
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If this case feels like it’s been going on forever, it’s partially because of a deadlocked jury back in 2007, making the case a mistrial. 10 were in favor of convicting Spector, while 2 were not.
This second trial lasted 32 hours over a nine-day span. Spector now faces a minimum of 18 years in prison.
Spector was first arrested back in February of 2003 after his limo driver called police to report a dead body in the foyer of the producer’s mansion.
Spector’s chauffeur testified at the initial trial that Spector said to him, “I think I killed somebody.”
Spector met Clarkson at the House of Blues earlier that night, where she worked as a cocktail waitress, and invited her back to his home for a drink. It was the first time the pair had met.
Spector is now in custody, where he will remain until May 29th, when he will be sentenced. 18 years is just the minimum, and he could realistically be looking at life in prison.
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