Death of actress at Spector home 'no suicide'

Police have ruled out suicide in the death of an actress found shot at the Los Angeles home of music producer Phil Spector.

Sheriff’s Capt Frank Merriman said authorities believed the shooting was a crime, and disputed news reports that said Spector would soon be cleared.

“No one involved in this investigation said that,” Merriman said. “My opinion is that somebody is orchestrating this to plant seeds of doubt with potential jurors.”

Spector’s long-time friend Marvin Mitchelson said Spector sent an e-mail to him and others on Monday suggesting that investigators would soon clear him and that Lana Clarkson’s death was “an accidental suicide”. Mitchelson said he has not talked with Spector about the e-mail.

Spector, 62, who produced records for acts like the Beatles, Elvis Presley and the Ramones, was arrested on February 3 on suspicion of murder after Clarkson, a 40-year-old model and B-movie actress, was found shot dead in the foyer of his hilltop home in suburban Alhambra.

No charges have been filed and Spector was released on $1m bail.

The investigation could continue until summer because the evidence was complex and forensic tests would take months to complete, Merriman said.