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Actress Lana Clarkson, renowned for her role in Barbarian Queen and other B-movies, made a name for herself in Hollywood in the 80s and appeared in minor roles in classics such as Scarface, among others. Unfortunately, on February 3, 2003, her life and career were tragically cut short when acclaimed record producer Phil Spector shot her to death inside his Los Angeles mansion.
Lana Clarkson, 40, died of a gunshot wound to the mouth at Spector's house in Alhambra, California. The producer's limo driver, who drove them to the location from the nightclub the victim was working at that night, made the 911 call after being startled by a gunshot.
Spector first claimed that the gun discharged "accidentally" after the cops showed up, only to later change his narrative and allege that Clarkson committed suicide. Evidence and forensic reports, however, proved otherwise, leading to one of the most high-profile Hollywood cases and the conviction of the famed music producer.
From a night of partying to the conviction of a famed music producer, five key details from Lana Clarkson's murder case
1) Phil Spector alleged that Lana Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide"
On the night of Lana Clarkson's murder, when authorities arrived at the crime scene, they found her body inside the house, slumped on a chair. There was blood all over her face and neck, the bottom of her mouth was missing, and a 36 Colt gun was lying close to her.
When cops first arrived at the scene, Phil Spector initially claimed that the revolver accidentally went off but changed his statement when he was taken to the police station. Spector claimed that Lana Clarkson committed suicide after joining him at his Alhambra mansion.
2) The two met on the night of the murder at a Los Angeles nightclub
Sources state that the 40-year-old actress was serving as a VIP hostess at the House of Blues nightclub in Los Angeles on the night of her murder.
She allegedly denied record producer Phil Spector access to the VIP area of the club, marking it the first time the two would encounter each other. Later, the management gave Clarkson instructions and asked her to handle Spector with extreme care.
3) Spector's limo driver heard a gunshot while waiting outside his mansion
Together, Spector and Clarkson left the club in the former's limo. The chauffeur drove them to his house in Alhambra, California. According to reports, the driver waited outside for approximately an hour before being startled by the sound of a gunshot. He then immediately dialed 911. Shortly afterwards, Spector reportedly came out of his house, professing that he "just killed someone."
4) Spector's first trial in Lana Clarkson's murder case ended with a hung jury
When Spector was initially tried in 2007, his defense attempted to portray Lana Clarkson as a depressed, unsuccessful actress who shot herself with the defendant's gun.
However, the prosecution argued that there was significant proof against Spector, including the compelling statements of other women who claimed to have experienced terrifying encounters with him. In the end, five women testified that Spector threatened them with a gun when they attempted to leave his house or hotel room. The first trial concluded with a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial.
5) During the re-trial, Phil Spector was found guilty of murdering the actress
Spector was re-tried in 2008. The trial lasted from October 2008 to April 2009, and was noticeably less dramatic. Forensic experts testified during the trial that suicidal individuals hardly ever kill themselves at a stranger's house. Furthermore, Clarkson did not demonstrate any signs of suicidal behavior.
Eventually, Spector was convicted of second-degree murder by the second panel of jurors. Soon after, he received a 19-year to life jail term. However, on January 16, 2021, he died due to COVID-19, aged 81, while still serving his sentence.
Showtime's Spector, which premieres on Sunday, November 6, at 9 pm ET, will shed new light on the decades-old case.
