Prosecution Rests Case on Phil Spector Murder Retrial

The case of Phil Spector has had the media guessing about his personality quirks and related issues throughout his first trial and now second trial. Spector is accused of killing Lana Clarkson at his suburban Alhambra mansion.

His first trial resulted in a deadlocked jury in 2007. The prosecution has now completed its presentation again and has rested its case. In this second trial the last witness was Donna Clarkson, who reiterated the story she had given during the first trial, that her 40-year-old daughter had spent the day shopping before going to the House of Blues nightclub. Clarkson said her daughter had intended to go back to acting. The tabloids have been reporting the sensational Phil Spector case ever since he was first accused of shooting Lana Clarkson through the mouth. Her body was found in the foyer of the Spector home. The incident took place in February 2003, and the case has had many twists, turns and detours along the way since the killing was reported. At the outset Spector’s mental state was an issue, with sources intimating that he had been a recluse and moody for some time. Spector was arrested on February 3, 2003 and released on a $ 1 million bond. Spector had been variously a musician, music producer and film producer with a series of notable achievements in the entertainment industry. His hits included "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Unchained Melody" for the Righteous Brothers, "Chapel of Love" for Darlene Love, "Da Doo Ron Ron" for the Crystals, and "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You" for the Ronettes. He also worked with the Beatles. Spector has been married several times and has five children. In July 2003 Spector interviewed with Esquire magazine and told the reporter that Lana Clarkson had shot herself. In September of that year the police had determined that Clarkson’s death, however, was a homicide and declared that Spector had killed her. Spector’s original attorneys included Marvin Mitchelson and Robert Shapiro, both of whom he battled with during the early stages of his case. He was known by folks in the entertainment industry as being somewhat disturbed if not crazy. He later ended his relationship with Shapiro, suing him for the $1 million retainer paid to Shapiro. Mitchelson was never directly involved in the actual case. Spector subsequently hired Leslie Abramson. He later dismissed her and hired several other attorneys at various junctures in his case, for a time having none. The first trial began in April 2007 and concluded in September with a mistrial when the judge declared the jury deadlocked on the case. 77 witnesses and 66 pieces of evidence were said to have been submitted. This second trial began in November 2008. Reports stated that he had a strange defense. Doron Weinburg, his present attorney, has acknowledged what has been called Spector’s “abusive, dangerous and unstable behavior” in an effort to demonstrate that it isn't just women Spector hates. The Spector defense case is said to begin proceedings Monday.