Last Updated on February 27, 2026
Phil Spector shot actress Lana Clarkson dead at his California mansion on February 3rd 2003.
He shot her after meeting her hours earlier in an LA nightclub.
Following a mistrial, he was retried and found guilty of second-degree murder.
Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.
Discovery of Body
The body of Lana Clarkson was discovered after Phil Spector’s driver heard a gunshot and entered the mansion.
She was found slumped in a chair in the foyer of the mansion with a gunshot to the mouth.
Her teeth were broken around her on the carpet.
The driver, Adriano de Souza, made the 911 call.
He told the operator that Spector had said, “I think I’ve killed someone”, when he approached him.
Investigation
The autopsy revealed a bruise on her tongue, indicating recent trauma.
There were also recent bruises on her right arm and hand.
The coroner ruled the death a homicide after talking to acquaintances and finding no reason to suggest suicide.
During a forensic investigation of the gun, Phil Spector’s fingerprints were not found on the gun.
This isn’t unusual; murder weapons only have the killer’s fingerprints less than 10% of the time.
There were 18 spots of blood found on Spector’s jacket.
This suggested that he was close to Lana at the time of the gunshot.
There was also blood in the pocket of his trousers, leading investigators to believe he put the gun in his pocket briefly.
A cloth soaked with Lana’s blood was found on the floor in a bathroom.
The bathroom was located just off the foyer, and there was blood on the staircase.
The murder weapon was a Colt Cobra revolver.
The holster for the weapon was found in a drawer in the foyer where the shooting took place.
Spector initially told police that the shooting was an accident.
It was raised at trial that the coroner’s criminalist may have compromised evidence.
The body was moved in a way that made the blood from her mouth soak her dress, further compromising the blood spatter.
By using tape lifts to remove material, there may have been blood splatter evidence compromised.
Arrest
Phil Spector was arrested at the scene, and the officers used a stun gun to subdue him.
After his arrest, he was released on a $1 million bail.
Trial
Spector’s first trial began on 19th March 2007.
It resulted in a hung jury, deadlocked 10-2 towards conviction, and was declared a mistrial.
The deadlock had begun at a 7-5 majority in favour of conviction.
It could not be moved to a unanimous decision.
During the first trial, the defence was accused of hiding vital evidence.
Spector hired and fired three defence teams.
The retrial began on 20th October 2008, with the case going to the jury on 26th March 2009.
The prosecution argued that it was murder, and the defence team argued that it was a suicide.
During the trial, the prosecution told the court that Phil Spector had pulled a gun on four women between 1988 and 1995.
He would pull a gun on the women while he was drunk.
This was usually after they had rejected his advances, to stop them from leaving him.
The defence had attempted to prevent these witnesses, but it was ruled admissible for their case that it wasn’t an accident.
On April 13th 2009, Phil Spector was found guilty of second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime.
The jury was given the option of returning a verdict of involuntary manslaughter, but decided against this.
Sentence
After being found guilty of the second degree murder, Phil Spector was sentenced to 15 years to life on 29th May 2009.
He was also sentenced to an additional 4 years for using a firearm in the commission of a crime.
Appeals
In May 2011, the California Second District Court of Appeals upheld his conviction.
On 17th August 2011, the California Supreme Court declined to review the decision of the Second District Court of Appeal.
The U.S Supreme Court denied the petition for review in February 2012.
This appeal was filed due to arguments that Spector’s constitutional rights were violated.
A habeas corpus appeal was filed in the Federal District Court in June 2012, but this was recommended for denial in June 2015.
His attorney filed a petition due to Spector’s ill health in July 2013, and this was also dismissed in June 2015.
Prison Life
Phil Spector was initially housed at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison.
He was assigned to a Sensitive Needs area, reserved for prisoners who may be a target, such as former gang members and celebrities.
Spector was said to be reclusive in prison, as he was outside of prison and spent most of his time in his cell.
Due to his ill health, Phil Spector was serving his sentence at the California Health Care Facility at California State Prison.
Death
Phil Spector died on 16th January 2021 from natural causes.
The official cause of death is yet to be recorded.
Media
Phil Spector gave interviews to the media and the press.
In a magazine interview, he told them that Lana kissed the gun before turning it on herself.
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector, a BBC 2 documentary, was aired in April 2008.
The documentary featured interview footage and images from his first trial.
A 2013 HBO film, Phil Spector featured Helen Mirren and was a more fiction-based account of the murder and subsequent trial.
The film was criticised by Lana and Phil’s families for having several inaccuracies.
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