Phil Spector goes on trial again for actress’ death
October 30, 2008
Phil Spector did not testify at the first trial. He is accused in the death of actress Lana Clarkson.
A prosecutor on Wednesday portrayed eccentric musical genius Phil Spector as a man who repeatedly threatened women with guns and could become “very sinister, very violent and very deadly” when he was drunk.
In a speech reminiscent of the one he gave at the first trial, Jackson briefly described the killing of Clarkson at Spector’s mansion and displayed photos showing her in life and death.
One image showed her body slumped in a chair with blood all over her face.
Jackson also recounted the statement of a chauffeur who told of Spector emerging from the house saying: “‘I think I killed somebody.”‘
The defense opening statement was expected later in the day. In Spector’s first trial, the defense argued the 40-year-old Clarkson became despondent over her fading career and killed herself.
Most of Jackson’s opening dealt with a long line of women stretching over 30 years whom he said were threatened with death by a gun-wielding Spector.
He showed photos of five of them interspersed with quotes from their previous testimony, profane voicemail messages left for them by Spector and, in one case, a video excerpt from the testimony of a witness who has since died.
In that footage, Diane Ogden pointed a finger at her head and testified that Spector held a gun to her face. “He said he was going to blow my brains out,” she testified.
It’s been a year since the jury in Spector’s first trial deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction.
There were no witnesses to the shooting and Spector didn’t testify in that trial.
Source: cnn.com
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