Phil Spector Murder Case Timeline
The Phil Spector Murder Case
A Starlet Is Dead And A Music Legend Is Convicted Of Murdering Her
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Feb. 3, 2003 Actress Lana Clarkson, star of the cult film "Barbarian Queen," is found shot to death at the Alhambra mansion of legendary music producer Phil Spector. He is booked for investigation of murder and released on $1 million bail.
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March 11, 2003 Sheriff's officials say they have discounted suicide in Clarkson's death. Spector sends an e-mail to friends, calling the shooting "an accidental suicide."
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June 4, 2003Spector tells Esquire Magazine, "She kissed the gun. I have no idea why."
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Sept. 22, 2003 Coroner rules Clarkson's death was a homicide, meaning she died at the hands of another.
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Feb. 2, 2004 Spector fires attorney Robert Shapiro, who was among the defense lawyers for O.J. Simpson, and hires a new defense team, including Leslie Abramson, who calls Spector "an idol, an icon and the definition of cool."
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May 6, 2004 Coroner's report says Clarkson might have fired the gun inside her mouth.
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Aug. 24, 2004 Defense team resigns. New York lawyer Bruce Cutler takes over and soon asks for more time to prepare for trial.
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Sept. 27, 2004Spector is indicted on a charge of murder. He denounces "the Hitler-like D.A. and his stormtrooper henchmen."
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Feb. 3, 2005 Clarkson's mother marks the second anniversary of the shooting by filing a wrongful death suit against Spector.
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April 23, 2005 Judge rules prosecutors can present evidence that Spector pulled guns on women in the past. Spector denies it.
(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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(Photo: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)
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(Photo: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)
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Feb. 16, 2007 Judge rules the trial can be televised.
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Aug. 27, 2007 Attorney Bruce Cutler, often absent from the trial to tape a TV show, formally leaves the defense team.
(Photo: Getty)
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Sept. 10, 2007 Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler hands the jury the case, but first asked them if any had heard or seen news reports over the weekend that could affect their discussions. No one raised a hand. Fidler was apparently concerned about reports in a London newspaper that quoted Spector as saying most of the prospective jurors thought he was either guilty or insane and that Fidler "doesn't like me."
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Sept. 26, 2007 The jury reports that it is deadlocked, having voted 10-2 in favor of conviction, leading Judge Larry Paul Fidler to declare a mistrial. Jurors had met for about 44 hours over 12 days since getting the case. Prosecutors said they would seek to retry Spector, and a hearing was set for Oct. 3.
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Oct. 3, 2007 Prosecutor Alan Jackson confirms at a hearing that the district attorney's office will retry Phil Spector, and lead defense attorney Roger Rosen announced that he will not be back for the second trial. One member of the defense team, Christopher Plourd, said he will remain as counsel to Spector, at least for now.
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Oct. 29, 2008 Opening statements in Spector's second trial for the murder of Lana Clarkson.
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March 23, 2009 Closing arguments begin in Spector's retrial for the murder of Lana Clarkson.
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April 13, 2009 Spector is convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Lana Clarkson. He
faces 18-years-to-life in prison when he's sentenced in May for
the second-degree murder and murder with a gun convictions.
(Photo: AP)