Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives have wrapped up their investigation into the February 3rd shooting that left forty-year-old actress Lana Clarkson dead and have concluded that legendary producer Phil Spector was responsible.
No charges have been filed yet, but the case has been turned over to the county’s district attorney.
Spector was arrested around 5 a.m. on February 3rd after police responded to reports of a shooting at his Alhambra mansion. Clarkson was found dead in the foyer of his home and a handgun was retrieved from the scene. Spector posted $1 million bond the next day and was freed. He was initially scheduled to appear in court on August 4th, six months after he posted bail, but prosecutors were still waiting for the evidence to be handed over by investigators. Police cite complex forensic tests and the thorough review of evidence as the cause for the lengthy lag time between Clarkson’s death and the conclusion of their investigation.
Spector has maintained his innocence since the shooting. In his most public address of the incident, he told Esquire this summer, “I didn’t do anything wrong. If they had a case, I’d be in jail right now.” The producer maintains that Clarkson, whom he met for the first time the night of February 2nd, shot and killed herself.
Investigator Captain Frank Merriman disagreed. “It’s not an accident, it’s not a suicide,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “Phil Spector shot her.”
Last month, Spector’s bail was extended to September 30th. Prosecutors have not yet indicated their course of action.
