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The Phil Spector Trial: We Watch Court TV So You Don’t Have To

7/27/07, 9:41 am EST

Photo: Phil Spector

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
Deputy district attorney Alan Jackson faced off against Dr. Werner Spitz, the celebrity forensic pathologist who firmly believes Lana Clarkson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jackson masterfully took each of Spitz’s examples of “physical evidence,” proved that every one was mere speculation and then unleashed some physical evidence of his own: Clarkson was killed in Spector’s house by a Spector-owned bullet that came from Spector’s gun that was residing in Spector’s holster that was inside Spector’s bureau. As Clarkson was a stranger to the Spector residence, it’s unlikely she’d know where the gun was hidden. Spitz sat dumbfounded, stubbornly nodding along in agreement to Jackson’s unflappable evidence.

IS THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR SPECTOR?
Bad. Chalk up another expert — this one with a $5,000 a day price tag — that was unable to generate reasonable doubt. With only two forensic pros left on its witness list, HBO Autopsy’s Michael Baden and Dr. Henry Lee (who’s currently in China), the defense is in crunch time to get its client off the hook.

MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE OF COURT:
Spector’s ex-lawyer Sara Caplan, who just weeks ago was on the verge of being sent to jail for refusing to discuss the Dr. Lee scandal under oath, is cashing in by hiring a PR firm with the intention of selling the book rights for her participation in this trial.

Photo: Rector/Getty


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Comments

R. Vaughan | 7/27/2007, 2:26 pm EST

Hold on,here!

I thought that the gun in question
belonged to Lana Clarkson.

Mr. Spector had all his guns,
registered with law enforcement.

Wasn’t Lana Clarkson said to have
her own gun (having ditched a
bodyguard)?

The original argument was,that
Ms. Clarkson shot herself with
HER OWN gun!

So this doesn’t make sense.

Hey,Hey Phil | 7/27/2007, 2:43 pm EST

If you need a lift anywhere, just lemme know–OJ

DLR | 7/27/2007, 3:55 pm EST

R Vaughan,

Spector had several licensed and several unlicensed firearms in his house. It was always suspect that it was Spectors gun. The ammo in the gun and found throughout Spectors house was apparently made in the 1970s. It’s pretty clear that Spector did it I mean who takes their own life in a strangers house?

Joyce danelen@yahoo.com | 7/27/2007, 9:15 pm EST

This judge should be taken off the bench.
Fiddler is so bias and won’t let the whole story be told.
If it is against my friend Phil Spector, he allows it to be heard.
Even if it was 10 plus years ago.
Fiddler, won’t let in that Lana Clarkson worked as a hooker. Fiddler even put a gag order against the madam! Lana was so down and out, she was a drunk and a user of drugs. For a woman to sell her body, she had no respect for herself nor wanted to live. All those men that had to pay for it, if I were Lana I would want to die too. Sorry to say but the only way for Lana to get her fame was to eat a bullet. What a shame Lana did not get help for all of her problems. I am so sorry Lana took her last 15 minutes of fame by wrecking Phil Spectors life!
Joyce Danelen
JoyceDanelen@yahoo.com
Google the facts.

Dear Joyce | 7/27/2007, 11:13 pm EST

You ARE a YAHOO!

MERLIN | 7/28/2007, 4:40 am EST

What about Lana Clarksons body as the evidence? teeth splattered out of her mouth, If I was gona kill myself i would make shure the gun went past my teeth down my throat not infront of them

Beth | 7/28/2007, 7:38 am EST

Why didn’t Phil call 911????

JW | 7/28/2007, 9:11 am EST

When this trial started, I was surely leaning to the strong possibility that Phil Spector’s habit of playing with guns in a threatening manner had “back fired” and he had accidentally shot Lana. However, as evidence comes in, I believe there is now the possibility she shot herself. Just 5 days prior to this incidence she was alone with a male in a hotel room (he testified but I don’t recall his name) for TWO hours in despair, drunk and crying her woes to the tune that the male testified that he suggested counseling. Who is not to say that she was drunk and in despair again and shot herself. It seemed sex or some form of it may have transpired between her and Phillip with DNA from her on his privates and his DNA on her boob. Women do PROWL in other’s homes, so it is possible she opened the drawer in his foyer and found the gun herself. Her DNA was on bullets…his not. How did this happen? I agree with prior comment of bias of judge…why is it that Phillip’s past behavior from 10 years or so is ok…but not Lanas? What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. Lana may have been very flacky…look at her best friends who testified. Birds of a feather flock together.

Blah Van Bluh | 7/28/2007, 9:13 am EST

Why don’t some of you acquaint yourself with the facts before you spout nonsense? It was Phil’s gun, proved by prosecution and not even a debate in the trial since the first weeks. Yes, that was spouted in the defense opening statement, but so were many other “facts” which have all panned out to be untrue. Face it, Phil did it.

kellabeck | 7/28/2007, 9:34 am EST

The gun was Spector’s.
How would this woman, a near stranger, know where to find a gun in Phil’s house?
What are the odds that she would pick the house of a man with a considerable history of drunken gun rages against departing women to shoot herself in?
And why would her body be near the exit with her purse on her shoulder?
Do not believe the lies and slander above. They are the pitiable bleetings of a moribund defense going down for the count.
He is GUILTY and will be found so.

JW | 7/28/2007, 9:50 am EST

I don’t know if he is guilty and neither does anyone else who posts here. One can make an assumption only based on their beliefs. If the stick points in two directions, the law says, the jury must go the direction most favorable to the defense. Look, I am not a Spector fan…didn’t even know who he was until this mess started. But, I do believe in fairness and this judge seems very biased for the prosecution to me. There are many proven cases where many clamied to know as ones who have posted here have…that a defendant was guilty. Barry Sheck has proven innoncence on how many of these cases now? I do recall the Duke Prosecutor too….I don’t beleive everything a prosecutor says as some of you seem to. You don’t know for a fact it was Spector’s gun……you can base your opinion only on an assumption…and you know what you are called when you “assume”. Hopefully, the jury will get it right. The stick points in both directions for me….one may lean a little more than the other. I need to see the ENTIRE case before I make a judgment as some of you have already done.

JW | 7/28/2007, 9:56 am EST

The gun was NOT proven to be Spectors. Please point me to the transcript where this was proven. The gun was not registered to anyone. Most likely it belonged to Spector….but with Lana who knows…she obviously was having difficulties and her friends were very flaky..PUNKIN’ PIE. Good grief. I have known women like this before and I stay away…no telling what you would get into with them. It seems to me Lana made some bad choices…perhaps her last one was to end it all. Only, she, Spector and God knows what happened.

JW | 7/28/2007, 11:40 am EST

kellabeck | 7/28/2007, 9:35 am EST

“How would this woman, a near stranger, know where to find a gun in Phil’s house?”

Women are known “prowlers”….perhaps he left foyer and she opened drawer///as so often happens when a female visits one’s bathroom…..

IRL | 7/29/2007, 7:12 am EST

She shot herself after Spector presented her the gun… as a trained shooter he probably always kept his finger off the trigger at all times. So even if he pulled it on her by instinct he probably wanted to only scare her and had the finger off.

A revolver doesn’t have any safety though… therein lies the problem when she took it off his hands and taunted him with a real shot in her mouth.

Dan | 7/29/2007, 4:49 pm EST

well, everyone here has stated something worth writing and legitimate. The trial needs to conclude before making any final judgments. But, consider this; statistics show how rare it is for a stranger to kill themselves in another persons home. Statistics show how often what the killer says immediately after a shooting to often be the admission of the crime. Now, lets take into account other women’s accounts of Phil and his actions, add to this that the event happened on his home turf, add to it that it was his gun and old ammunition, add to it how the change of clothes, how long it was before authorities were called in etc….all, and consider statistics when evaluating crimes. Stir this pot of soup and it looks BAD. How about if each of us tonight go out on a date, return to the home of our date, drink a little, have some sex, look for a gun and pull the trigger…hmmm…not me and if my date did that, and especially if I am not guilty, I don’t do anything but call police, sit still and, all by the way, my story would never have to change!

JW | 7/29/2007, 8:48 pm EST

“But consider this” Dan

Yep, you put the stick down and it could certainly point in the direction you indicated. However, look where the other end of the stick points:

Several times in two weeks prior to her death, Ms. Clarkson was ready to end it all…drunk in hotel room with married man WITH HER PURSE with her for TWO HOURS..crying in despair..what would she have done in this instance if a gun had been available? Perhaps this married friend of hers would be on trial for murder. (he suggested she seek counseling) Might she just have been in same despair at Phil’s house on Feb. 3rd? And, a gun was there! We can all speculate whether it is Phil’s past behavior from 10 years ago.. OR Lana’s past behavior of despair of the prior TWO weeks in which she told best friends she wanted to end it all.

WHERE was the blood that would have been on Spector IF he fired the shot…and the GSR on ALL of his clothes…where was it? Physical evidence points to her pulling the trigger. The argument that he washed his hands has been made…BUT he didn’t wash his clothes…where was the evidence other than a few spots on his white jacket? Why wasn’t the rug taken for blood analysis to see where the blood really went?

Statistics? Really….99% of oral gun shot wounds are suicide…furthermore, the barrel of the gun was center point in her mouth…ya really think shaky Mr. Spector could have held the gun centerpoint? Center Point is more consistent with her holding the gun. Where was GSR on his sleeves or jacket?

Excited utterance from Mr. Spector to the limo driver….I am not confident the limo driver knows what he heard as he changed phraseology. He seemed to want to be so sure on the stand that he said “exactly what he was supposed to” that I did not believe he necessarily remembered per se. Spector obviously said something..but what?
Eye witness are often mistaken and not reliable…physical evidence is what it is.

I could list more of the stick in the opposite direction…BUT, the law says if it points in both directions the defense wins. I honestly think Mr. Spector’s past behavior caught up with him …not in the murder…but suicide…back fire so to speak. She was drunk and arguably could be same state of mind she was in 5 days prior with her married friend..purse with her and in great despair..only difference…could be gun was at Spectors.

I don’t know what happened…only Phil and God know at this point. Hopefully, justice will be served either for Ms. Clarkson or for Mr. Spector if he is innocent.

Phil's Wackiest Home Videos | 7/30/2007, 3:15 am EST

“I think I just killed someone” (Bob Saget) Gee, what gave you that idea Phil? The fuckin’ dead corpse in your livingroom? (laughter and applause) Rock B

Harvey Mitchell | 7/30/2007, 2:29 pm EST

Joyce Danelen,

You are so full of it!!!

Raymond Wells | 7/31/2007, 2:47 pm EST

I’ve been s fan of the phil spector productions since i can remember. the ronets, righteous brothers and christles to name a few, But that won’t sway me into beleiveing spector could possably be inocent of the charges against him. Phorenix or no phrencix. Ireolize one is inocent until proven otherwise, but he’s lost that inocent feeling (if you will)

Raymond Wells | 7/31/2007, 2:47 pm EST

I’ve been s fan of the phil spector productions since i can remember. the ronets, righteous brothers and christles to name a few, But that won’t sway me into beleiveing spector could possably be inocent of the charges against him. Phorenix or no phrencix. Ireolize one is inocent until proven otherwise, but he’s lost that inocent feeling (if you will)

clarkent | 8/6/2007, 11:36 am EST

he didnt take the stand=guilty. Period

james | 8/7/2007, 12:53 pm EST

they say Lana Clarkson was beautiful but i saw her picture at the age of forty she was not pretty hollywood makes everyone beautiful or ugly for whatever part they play in acting.Phils D N A was found on her boobs and her D N A was on his genitals so what does that tell you .if Lana Clarkson gave me oral sex i know i wouldn’t shoot her and i think he wouldn’t either maybe after she realized what she did maybe she did kill herself.

T. G. | 9/7/2007, 5:16 am EST

Well, Phil is a genius in his own right. But has been mentally ill for years. In fact, the LA Times ran an article about him years ago where he admitted to have mental problems and was seeing a psychiatrist. And so, all of those past events about women who’ve been threated by Phil are quite credible and well documented.
And it all starts with his first wife, Ronnie Spector, who he kept as a virtual prisoner in his mansion under threats and intimidation.
So the fact that Lana Clarkson died so tragically and for know reason at all, comes a no surprise. He simply killed her, whether by accident or intention. And there is no way around it.
So actually, I’d really prefer to see him committed to a psychiatric prison where he belongs, but the prosecution is going for broke. And this where the fun starts since it’s an all or nothing proposition.
Because, what would be the motive for murdering a female stranger other than his past violent behavior towards women?
Nevertheless, Phil should be put away before someone else dies tragically.

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