After an eight-month investigation, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has ruled that the shooting death of a woman at the home of legendary music producer Phil Spector home last February was a homicide.
Lana Clarkson, a 40-year-old B-movie actress, died from gunshot wounds to her head and neck that were inflicted by another person, a coroner's spokesman said.
Spector (62) was arrested after Clarkson's death but released on bond, and police did not turn over their evidence to prosecutors until last week.
A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney said her office was reviewing the case and was expected to make a decision on what charges to bring early this week.
In June, Spector told Esquiremagazine that Clarkson killed herself by putting the gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger in his foyer.
"She kissed the gun. I have no idea why - (I) never knew her, I never even saw her before that night ... I have no idea who she was, or what her agenda was," Spector told the magazine. "She killed herself. If they had a case, I'd be sitting in jail right now."
Police found Clarkson dead in a pool of blood in the foyer of Spector's castle-like mansion in the LA suburb of Alhambra just before dawn last February.
The tall, blond Clarkson, who idolized Marilyn Monroe and starred in such films as Amazon Women on the Moonand The Barbarian Queen, was working at the House of Blues nightclub on the Sunset Strip on the night of her death.
Spector wrote and produced his first No 1 hit, To Know Him Is To Love Himat age 17 and went on to produce 17 Top Ten US hits in a decade. He also helped the Beatles put out their Let It Bealbum.