Deadlock for Jury in Spector Murder Trial

The jury in the murder trial of Phil Spector declared that it was unable to reach a verdict yesterday after seven days of deliberation.

The jury's foreman told Judge Larry Fidler that it was hung on a 7-5 vote. It was not revealed which way the majority on the jury was leaning.

In a further development, the judge said that he was considering allowing the jury to consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Spector has been tried on a charge of second degree murder in the death of Lana Clarkson, an actor who was found dead of a single gunshot wound in the lobby of the legendary record producer's Los Angeles mansion in February 2003.

If found guilty on that charge, Spector would face at least 15 years in prison. A charge of involuntary manslaughter is likely to lead to a sentence of three to seven years, should the 67-year-old be found guilty.

A trembling Spector - wearing a charcoal pinstripe suit, red tie and handkerchief - listened as the jurors individually confirmed to the judge that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision. Three jurors, including two of the three women on the panel, said that further instruction from the judge might help them in arriving at a different decision. However the foreman, speaking on behalf of the entire jury, told the judge: "I don't believe that anything else will change the positions of the jurors based on the facts."

The development came after the jurors sent a note to the judge at lunchtime yesterday. "The jury has reached an impasse," it read. "We do not feel we can reach a unanimous verdict."

After calling the jury into the courtroom, Judge Fidler sent them home, to return today. "I want you to take a break," he said. "Just set the case aside for the rest of the day."

Spector and Clarkson had met when he visited the House of Blues nightclub where she worked as a hostess in the VIP room.

She agreed to accompany Spector to his home - a "Pyrenees castle" in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra - for a nightcap. According to testimony from Spector's chauffeur, some hours after they arrived, a shot was fired and Spector emerged from the house holding a gun to declare: "I think I killed somebody."

Clarkson was killed by a bullet fired from a gun inside her mouth. Spector's defense contended during the five-month trial that she had many personal problems and killed herself either by accident or suicide.

Spector found fame as producer of hit records decades ago, creating what became known as the "Wall of Sound" recording technique.

Clarkson had modest success as the star of Roger Corman's 1985 cult film Barbarian Queen.