News / People
Spector’s defense wants diary introduced as evidence of suicide
Today in the court room of Phil Spector’s murder trial the prosecutors and defense argued over showing the victim's, Lena Clarkson, diary as evidence. In the diary Clarkson wrote about her fascination with guns, being depressed over her acting career, and a picture of a dead actress.
Lena Clarkson, an actress, was found dead in the home of Phil Spector. She was shot in the mouth more than four years ago after she went home with Spector on February 3, 2003. Spector was accused of murdering her, but he claims it was suicide.
Prosecutors told the judge that they knew about the diary but considered it “untrustworthy” therefore not giving it to the coroner’s office.
"I think you are arguing way too much," the defense said to the prosecution. "If you have the words of a deceased ... how do you keep that away from the jury and away from an expert who could have considered it?"
Prosecutor Alan Jackson argued that the writing on Clarkson’s computer and in her diary were probably only writings that she penned for a writing class that she was taking and that they couldn’t be relied upon.
Coroner Louis Pena said that he had always ruled Clarkson’s death as a homicide therefore never considered doing a "psychological autopsy". "We do a psychological autopsy only at the request of the family when it's ruled a suicide," he said.
Defense attorney, Christopher Plourd then began questioning the coroner about the documents found in Lena Clarkson’s computer. He asked him if he had ever considered them. Judge Larry Paul dismissed the jury and ordered a hearing on the issue.
Plourd then showed some of the material from the computer which contained a document Clarkson titled as “The Story of My Life.” In that document she spoke about struggling with drug problems in her youth and drinking as a teenager.
"She has delusions," Plourd said, "She's seeing people who are deceased and talks to them. She talks about seeing a dead actress who comes to her in visions, a struggling actress who didn't make it and killed herself with a gun." He then said that the defense explored the story and found out that it was a real actress, and where she lived. Clarkson claimed to have had visions where the actress lived.
A district attorney’s investigator read the whole diary and said that it wasn’t relevant to the case.
