"WALL OF SOUND, CHAMBER OF DEATH: Phil Spector's Castle Murder & The Five Women Who Warned Us"

0:03 Caaleroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Red Carter. Saturday, August twenty third, twenty twenty five. It's the weekend, which means we take a break from this week's parade of TikTok killers and Netflix inspired murderers to look back at the celebrity trials that defined an era. Today, we're marking a grim anniversary. Fourteen years ago this week, August seventeenth, twenty eleven, the California Supreme Court slammed the door on Phil Spector's last hope for freedom. The man who created the Wall of Sound would die behind those prison walls a decade later, taking the truth about Lana Clarkson's death to his grave.

0:46 But I'll tell you the truth he wouldn't. This is the story of how the most influential music producer in history became just another prison number, How a man who worked with the Beatles, the Ronettes, and Ike and Tina Turner ended up convey did of murder, and how it took two trials, five women's testimonies, and one brave chauffeur to finally stop a monster who'd been pulling guns on women for thirty years. Settle in, folks, this is celebrity trials. Let's start with who phil Spector was before he became a killer, because to understand the tragedy of February third, two thousand and three, you need to understand the god complex of the man holding the gun. Harvey Philip Specter revolutionized popular music in the nineteen sixties with his wall of sound production technique. We're talking about the architect behind Be My Baby by the Rawnettes, You've Lost That Love and feeling, by the Righteous Brothers, Riverdeep, Mountain High by Ike and Tina Turner. This man produced the beatles Let It Be. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in nineteen eighty nine. By any measure, phil Spector was a musical genius. Phil Spector was also a gun toting psychopath who terrorized women for decades. The warning signs were there from the beginning. The Rownets' lead singer, Ronnie Specter, who became his wife, later described years of imprisonment in his mansion. He wouldn't let her leave. He

2:20 displayed a gold coffin in the basement and told her he'd kill her and display her body if she ever left him. This was the nineteen sixties folks, nobody called it domestic violence. Back then, they called it eccentric. Fast forward through decades of incidents, women at recording sessions having guns pulled on them, dates ending with firearms brandished the music industry's dirty little secret that everyone knew but nobody talked about, because hey, he's Phil Spector, he's a genius, he's just difficult. Then came February third, two thousand and three. Lonna Clarkson was a forty year old actress. You might have seen her in Barbarian Queen or Fast Times at Bridgemont High. By two thousand and three, she was working as a hostess at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip.

3:06 That's where she met Phil Spector, who came in after midnight, already drunk from a night of bar hopping with another woman he ditched earlier. Here's what we know. Spector convinced Clarkson to come back to his Alhambra mansion. He called it the Pyrenees Castle. His driver, Adriano Desuza, drove them there. Clarkson went inside. Less than three hours later, she was dead at five am. Desuza heard a gunshot. Minutes later. Specter emerged from the house holding a gun and said, and I quote, I think I killed somebody. Let that sink in. Not someone's been shot, not there's been an accident, but I think I killed somebody. When police arrived, they found Clarkson slumped in a chair in the foyer, shot through the mouth, her teeth scattered on the floor. Spector had changed his story by then. Now he claimed Clarkson had killed herself. This woman he'd known for less than three hours had suddenly decided to commit suicide in a stranger's foyer. The investigation revealed the truth peace by piece.

4:13 The gun, a thirty eight caliber Colt Cobra, wasn't registered to Specter. It was later found in a dumpster near the house. Clarkson's purse was slung over her shoulder like she was trying to leave. Her coat was on. This wasn't a woman settling in for a nightcap. This was a woman trying to get out. But here's what really buried Phil Spector the pattern. When prosecutors brought their case, they didn't just argue about February third. They brought in witness after witness, woman after woman who told the same story. Spector would drink, Spector would pull a gun. Spector would threaten to kill them if they tried to leave. Dorothy Melvin, former girlfriend, testified Specter held a gun to her head when she tried to leave his house. Diane Ogden, former girlfriend, same story. Stephanie Jennings, a photographer, testified Spector pointed a gun at her at a party. Devreux Robtie, a friend, testified Spector held a gun on her at the same Pyrenees castle where Clarkson died. Five women, five guns, five times.

5:16 Phil Spector showed exactly who he was. The first trial began March nineteenth, two thousand and seven, and folks, it was a circus. Spector showed up every day in a different bizarre wig, blonde, afros, weird pompadours, something that looked like roadkill perched on his skull. His lawyer was Bruce Cutler, who'd previously defended John Gottie. The strategy attack Lona Clarkson's character paint her as a desperate, suicidal, washed up actress who killed herself Inspector's foyer. They actually argued with a straight face that this woman Specter had just met was so depressed about her career that she grabbed a stranger's gun and shot herself while wearing her coat with her purse on her shoulder, after telling friends she was excited about upcoming work. The jury didn't fully buy it, but they didn't fully reject it either. On September twenty sixth, two thousand and seven, they deadlocked ten to two for conviction mistrial, but Los Angeles County wasn't done with Phil Spector.

6:19 The retrial began October twentieth, two thousand and eight. This time, prosecutors streamlined their case less about Spector's music legacy, more about his pattern of violence. They hammered home to SUS's testimony, I think I killed somebody. They brought back the women. They showed the jury photos of Clarkson's shattered teeth. On April thirteenth, two thousand and nine, the verdict came down guilty of second degree murder. The jury also found true the special allegation that Specter used a firearm. On May twenty ninth, two thousand and nine, Judge Larry Paul Fiddler sentenced him to nineteen years to life. Back in a moment.

7:09 Specter immediately began appeals. He went to the California Court of Appeal denied. He petitioned the California Supreme Court, and on August seventeenth, twenty eleven, fourteen years ago this week, they declined to review his case. He tried the U. S. Supreme Court denied, the Federal District Court denied. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied. Phil Spector would never see freedom again. He spent his last years at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. The man who lived in a castle, who produced the Beatles, who created the soundtrack of the nineteen sixties, was now inmate W six' nine one one. Nine On january, sixteenth twenty twenty, One Phil spector died OF covid nineteen. Complications he was eighty one years.

7:55 Old he never admitted, Guilt he never. Apologized he went to his grave insisting That Lana, clarkson a woman he'd known for three, hours had mysteriously decided to kill herself in his. Foyer but here's WHAT i think happened that, night based on the evidence in the. Pattern Lana clarkson went To spector's house because she was being polite to a music industry. Legend maybe she thought it would help her. Career maybe she was just being nice to a drunk old man when she tried to, leave Like Dorothy melvin tried to, leave Like Diane ogden tried to, leave like all the others tried to, Leave specter pulled a, gun but this time was. Different Maybe clarkson laughed at. Him maybe she told him he was. Pathetic maybe she just tried to push past. Him And Phil, spector The Great Phil, spector The Genius Phil, spector couldn't handle being dismissed by A b movie actress working as a, hostess so he shot her in the mouth to shut her up. Forever then he walked outside and told his driver exactly what he'd.

8:53 DONE i THINK i killed. Somebody it took two trials and six, years but justice finally came For Phil. Spector the wall of sound became the sound of, silence the silence of a prison cell where a murderer spent his last decade claiming, innocence while the ghost Of Lana clarkson demanded. Truth you want to know the real. Tragedy If Phil spector had been a, nobody if he'd been some regular guy pulling guns on women for thirty. Years he would have been in prison decades. Earlier but he Was Phil. Spector he produced The. Beatles he was a, genius and In america we let geniuses get away with murder until we. Don't august, seventeenth twenty, Eleven remember that. Date that's the day The California Supreme court, said no more, appeals no more, delays no more. Excuses that's the Day Phil spector officially became what he always, was a convicted killer who would die in a. Cage Lana clarkson was forty years old when she. Died she had a, Mother, donna who had to identify her daughter's body with its shattered. Teeth she had a friend who testified That lana was excited about a new, project looking forward to the. Future she had a life That Phil spector stole because he couldn't handle a woman walking away from. Him the Music Phil spector created will live, forever but so will the truth about what he, was a murderer who thought fame made him.

10:19 Untouchable fourteen years ago this, week The California Supreme court proved him. Wrong that celebrity trials For, Saturday august twenty, third, tomorrow we continue our weekend look back at classic celebrity trials with another. Anniversary Martha stewart's eighty fourth birthday was a few weeks, ago which gives us the perfect excuse to revisit How america's domestic goddess became federal inmate five five one seven zero dash zero five to. Four from insider trading to insider information on prison. Life it's a fall from grace that still defines how we prosecute white collar. Crime i'm, Reed. Carter Remember Phil spector died believing he was the. Victim the real. Victim Lana clarkson never got to grow, old never got to die believing, anything Because Phil spector shot her in the mouth for trying to.

11:08 Leave justice isn't always, fast but when it, comes it's. Permanent see you, tomorrow