Police expect delay in completing Spector shooting probe

Police investigating the shooting to death of an actress at record producer Phil Spector’s California mansion today said they expect the case to be delayed.

Sheriff’s officers say they will not be ready to present their case by the date Spector was expected to appear in court for arraignment next month.

If that happens, the scheduled March 3 court date would have to be postponed.

Spector was arrested for investigation of murder two weeks ago after the body of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson was found in his Alhambra home.

No charges have yet been filed and 62-year-old Spector is free on 1 million bail.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said they expect to receive the case sometime before March 3 but that now seems unlikely.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Dan Rosenberg said today: “Once we present the case, the district attorney will determine what charges will be filed if any.”

He said the lengthy probe was not unusual in a murder case adding: “It’s because we want to complete a very unbiased and comprehensive investigation.

“It takes time to get the physical evidence analysed and back to us and to interview all of the people we feel we need to interview.”

It also emerged today that one of the leading forensic experts in the US, Dr Michael Baden, was flown in from New York by Spector’s lawyer, Robert Shapiro, for Ms Clarkson’s post-mortem examination.

Both Mr Shapiro and Dr Baden worked on football star OJ Simpson’s murder trial.

A close friend of Spector, high-profile Los Angeles lawyer Marvin Mitchelson, has said he expects Spector will claim Ms Clarkson’s death was accidental.

He said recently: “I believe his defence will be that this was a tragic accident.

“I’ve spoken with various individuals connected with the case and I’m 100% certain it’s not a homicide.”

Ms Clarkson was found dead at Spector’s mansion on Monday February 3. She had been shot in the face.

The B-movie actress had gone home with Spector after a night at West Hollywood’s House of Blues club where she worked as a hostess.