Phil Spector Found Guilty of Murder in Lana Clarkson Case

Known for his flamboyant wigs and sometimes volatile personality, record producer Phil Spector became a music icon in the ’60s and beyond thanks to his wall of sound recording techniques and his work with groups like the Ronettes, the Crystals and the Righteous Brothers. He later went on to work with artists as diversere as Leonard Cohen and the Ramones.

However, for a new generation of music fans Spector may simply be known as a killer.

In 2007, Spector’s first murder trial ended in a hung jury, but on Monday a jury returned with a verdict after 15 days of deliberating. In a California courtroom 69-year-old Spector was found guilty of second degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

A particularly brutal crime, Clarkson was reportedly killed by a gunshot fired into her mouth.

Spector’s prison term will be determined at his May sentencing. Spector is currently married to his fourth wife, Rachelle, 41 years his junior.

Spector has a reputation for his short temper and penchant for guns, having had a notoriously tumultuous relationship with Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes, and in another incident, threatening the members of punk rock band the Ramones with a gun during a recording session.