CNN announced the death of Phil Spector with a headline that read, "Grammy-Winning Record Producer Phil Spector dies of natural causes." I suspect a lot of people complained because it's now been changed to "Grammy-winning producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector dies."
I dunno what kind of Journalism classes would suggest that the fact that he went to prison for murdering someone was kind of an aside in his life…and then there's the question of cause of death. The New York Times article said…
The cause was complications of Covid-19, his daughter, Nicole Audrey Spector, said. He was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, Calif., on Dec. 31 and intubated in January, she said.
But the CNN piece still says…
Music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector died of natural causes on Saturday at the age of 80, according to a statement released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. An official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner for San Joaquin County.
Not sure how they can say "natural causes" and then say someone's going to try and determine the cause of death but okay.
I had more than a little interest in his trial for the murder of Lana Clarkson because I'd met Ms. Clarkson, thought she was lovely and smart and in no way — as the defense tried to argue — the kind of person who'd kill herself. I also know a lot of people who knew her better than I did and they all agree.
And I read a lot about the trial and I was about as sure as you can be without sitting in the jury box that he killed her. I'm amazed that it took two trials to convict him but at least they did. From that point on, I had no interest in Spector. Life in prison does not seem to me a whole lot better or worse than being executed unless there's a chance of someday proving your innocence. Which in this case there wasn't.