Friday, July 31, 2009

CDCR Denies Manson Note to Spector

Several weeks ago, a story went like lightening around the web that a corrections office at the prison where Phil Spector is serving out his 19-to-life sentence, hand delivered a note from Charles Manson to the Wall-of-Sound producer.

Many of you wrote me to see if I had seen the story. From the very beginning I said I didn't believe the story and that was based on two things. First, I knew that Manson and Spector were housed in totally separate facilities, miles apart. Second, the story originated from Rachelle Short Spector. That second aspect alone should have made everyone chuckle when they heard the story.

Today, the Sacramento Bee is reporting that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is denying the story. From the Bee:

But corrections officials on Thursday moved to quash the rumors.

An investigation "showed there was not contact between the two inmates," said California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Terry Thornton. "For an employee to take a note from an inmate to another inmate would be staff misconduct."

(snip)

Corrections officials noted Spector and Manson are imprisoned four miles apart – Spector at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison and Manson at the California State Prison, Corcoran.

Does anyone really think that a corrections officer working at one facility housing Manson would take the time to hand deliver a note to an inmate at a completely different prison?

There is the possibility that Rachelle was just repeating what her convicted-of-second-degree-murder-husband wrote her from prison. However, I tend to think the story originated from Spector's young wife. During Spector's highly publicized first murder trial in 2007, I was in the courtroom and heard Rachelle tell CNN In Sessions (formerly CourtTV) correspondent Beth Karas that the obvious wig on Spector's head was "his real hair."

Tonight you can hear Rachelle spin again on ABC's 20/20. Check your local listings for show times.

50 comments:

CaliGirl9 said...

NO WAY a department of corrections employee carries any sort of message from one facility to another, let along inmate to inmate!!

Unless Spector wrote to one of Manson's minions living nearby and then said minion sent in the "note," and I'm pretty sure that's not kosher either ...

But it's a great story. It will loom large in Spector's legend.

Has the Trial Bride started to relocate closer to her man? I just thought of something else ... Doron Weinberg was sporting a nice tan/sunburn during the Ayres trial. Perhaps he's been to visit Phil? It's a 3 1/2 to 4-hour drive from the Bay Area ...

Sprocket said...

Mr. Weinberg sporting a tan? Does he possibly drive a convertible, getting a little sun on the drive down?

I doubt that Weinberg has been to see Spector while he was defending William Ayres on child molestation charges.

I doubt that Spector's publicist has been to see Spector.

I doubt that Spector's young wife has been to see him at his new, permanent digs.

Anonymous said...

Trial Bride has no interest in following her husband. She's too busy trying to launch a singing career. She's more delusional than Phil, the murderer.

Nora said...

Who would produce her albums now that Phil's behind bars? Does she have any singing talent?

Nora said...

P.S. I know that just having enough money can make one a producer, but to have a good album one needs a real professional producer. Which really good professional producer would seriously take on Rachelle unless she was amazingly gifted?

CaliGirl9 said...

Nora, please define "singing." LOL

Anonymous said...

Rachelle is delusional and has delusions of grandeur.

Anonymous said...

As you might remember, I had wondered if Spector would be placed in the same section as Charles Manson. It may be that Rachelle thinks the idea of exchanging notes with Manson is something to brag about. She has been waiting for a chance to appear on a program like 20/20 I expect.

David From TN

Anonymous said...

It is quite interesting that once a person goes behind bars, there is absolutely no news of what goes on in that person's life anymore.

Anonymous said...

The lies for a murderer continue. Elated the prison system shot this lame attempt to get attention down. The BBC reported Phil is basically in solitary confinement and has only recently gotten a tiny TV. He's not coping well at all. Doesn't your heart just bleed? He should have thought better before murdering Lana.

CaliGirl9, I liken her signing to two cats fighting in a burlap bag and so does her fake husband.

Jesdamala said...

Why would ANYONE, Spector, his Bride or anyone, want to have any connection with Manson, pleaaaaase, but the internet is filled with crazies who will jump on an 'report' anything, just to get a reaction. Manson thinking Phil will help his music career?
Phil is a 'dead man' for more reasons than one, he will wilt behind bars, a small guy with little to sustain him in this situation. All he has is his hopes for a reversal on appeal. He isn't going to take the risk by
befriending Manson, or anyone else who will not help him. Hope I am making sense. I have read any appeal would take two/three?? years at the least. He is having a miserable life right now, and honestly, doubtful the Bride is the first thing on his mind. But he really should do what he can do to shut her up, but hard to do...she simply will continue to promote herself at his expense, in more ways than money.

Anonymous said...

Maybe 'Punkin Pie' can promote her singing.
Meow.

Nora said...

Oh these comments are priceless lol

John said...

Regarding RS's "talent?"

Michelle Blaine, (PS's former personal assistant) heard RS's demo tape awhile ago. It was so bad she says that she threw it out.

MB also told me (and has also stated on her blog) that before they were married, RS dragged PS to one of her shows, along with poor MB. MB says that PS insisted that MB should tell RS she sucked and needed voice lessons! LOL.

RS claims she's not a golddigger and that there is nothing to dig, they are up their eyeballs in debt, etc.

Something this old guy doesn't get. According to RS, aren't they supposed to be crying poor? Up to debt in their eyeballs, nothing for her to "dig?"
Well then why is she on video,
bragging about their possessions
yet again? Time to sell your Smart Car, Dumb Woman! Here's the link, judge for yourselves:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8213055

Best,
John

Jesdamala said...

Spector is lots of things but not stupid, and my guess is somewhere, there is an 'agreement' with the 'bride', and she is limited in her powers for him, or for herself, however, she just very may have been the last person standing in his support, other than those he paid, meaning his legal team, and my guess is that she went into this for money, fame, or well, money or fame. Why else?

Did anybody read his first wife has gone missing? But didn't read if she was found. And not thinking it has anything to do with PS. This was a long ago, after high school marriage. It was on CNN or CBS website, but no news if she ever was found.

Just who are his various children born to?

Amazing about children, they can be abused and disregarded, but will always, or seemingly so, come to support their parent(s). There is enough in this story to keep the researchers busy for decades!

Yes, it is interesting that once one is behind those locked bars, very little is known, except for the occasional interview, usually on some TV program.

And that is a very good thing, because some are sociopaths who crave the limelight, although I don't think this is the case of Spector, who would probably be humiliated by his reduced lifestyle.

Oh, I am going to leave now with so much gratitude for my small, humble life, out of the limelight and just hanging in and hanging on and going about my business. Makes one wonder if fame is all that much it is cracked up to be, in so many cases, no, not in the end.

nd said...

KTLA reporting that a corrections spokeswoman confirmed a note was found but it may have been a prank by another inmate. I'll bet Lana's killer is a tad lonely in his solitary hole so he wrote it to himself, LOL.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-spector-manson,0,63437.story

nd said...

Craig Ferguson rerun the other day… it took seven guards to wrestle Phil Spector to the ground after his conviction… to remove his wig…

Anonymous said...

One can just imagine the publicist Hal Lifson cooking up crazy stories to keep PS in the news. Lifson has be critiqued in the past for planting phony stories....which legit news venues do not appreciate! Even if true, how is Manson-passes-a-note newsworthy?
Wes J.

Anonymous said...

Betsy this has just finished showing here on the East Coast, a lot of rehash of how-we-met, several fancy cars are shown and a seven-figure annual income but she says "we don't see it". One assumes it goes to pay the mortgage, lawyers, etc. tho' she does not specify. Lifson also gets a bit part in the interview.
The people involved in the court case were "mean and nasty", and (somehow) they kept out the real story of what happened that nite. Interestingly, PS has never told RS what actually happened, but at some point, it would be a good idea for him to come forward with it, she said. No mention of the civil case and left unclear was the future of Rachelle's music. ONCE AGAIN, we see a "news" reporter sitting there nodding, nothing much challenged and certainly no independent verification of anything, such as who pulls the financial strings and so on.

Sprocket said...

I can visualize the viola playing now.

Anonymous said...

Will Rachelle still be living in the Castle after the wrongful death suit is tried?

David From TN

Sprocket said...

Hi David!

It will depend on how the civil trial plays out.

If there is a guilty verdict and judgment is quite large, Spector may be ordered by the court to sell assets.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Nora said...

Okay, here's a question for you - who really cares and wants to know anything about the relationship between the Spectors so that 20/20 had to do a segment on it? Did Rachelle call them up and ask for the interview?

Sprocket said...

I personally could care less. But my readers do, and are constantly sending me story links, asking me if I'd seen the latest Spector news.

So, for my readers, I still post Spector stories.

Anonymous said...

Betsy,

Thanks for telling us about the 20/20 segment. I still want to see anything about this case. As I speculated in my previous post, it would seem that if a big judgment comes down against Spector in the civil trial, the Castle will have to be sold.

Regarding Rachelle, if you wanted to cast a gold-digger for a TV movie, this is one part Rachelle would get. She fits the role right out of central casting.

David From TN

John said...

Body language alone, I read RS as being quite insincere.

Check out the interviewer's non verbals! He ranged from looking uncomfortable, suspended in disbelief to trying to compose himself and not crack up each time RS spoke!

RS really tried hard to show us they "love" each other.

*Her butt bearing "I love Phillip" across it. (Come on, ABC, did we really have to be subjected to that?)

*The letter she read from PS addressing her as "Rachelle Dearest," and "I love you" at the end

*That nauseating card with the roses that claims PS said he's her "prisoner of life" (MB disputes the authenticity of that one)

The most nauseating???

The shot of RS sprawled on "their" bed, next to PS's dress suit she claims stays there, untouched on the bed where she now sleeps alone.
Now that made me laugh the hardest.
Let's not forget the crocodile tears she tries so hard to force when she says, "He didn't deserve this!"

IMO, The more RS opens her mouth the less convincing she is. The more she tries to convince us she's not a gold digger-the more it only shows stronger each time.

Whether she's bragging about the car she "designed" or the rock on her finger that she's sure so many other girls will never have (a ring so big that it could kill NYC cockroaches!) or when she brags about the Smart Car she designed.
She screams GOLD DIGGER!

IMO, the only times RS seemed to show any shred of honesty was when she claimed PS never told her what
happened/she never asked him to
the night of the incident. And of course when she was passionate about her music 'career'. Once again she had to bring up her songs she can't wait to release with PS producing.

I was not convinced at all that she "loves" PS. It is clear to me that she LOVES being "MRS" Phil Spector, a far cry from being a "nobody" Rachelle Short from tiny Beaver Falls.

Once again it's all about RS.
Once again, I am in need of a barf bag. And once again I am scratching my head, wondering what was ABC's angle here? To humanize PS and RS or to expose RS in all of her idiocy? If it was the latter, then you succeeded in full, ABC!

Best,
John

Anonymous said...

Maybe since Phil only get's local stations he could see for himself that she is indeed talking about him and saying the things he wants to hear her say.



Linda
Tx

Nora said...

It's nauseating to see Rachelle and hear what she says. I think the one thing that put me off the most about this interview (in addition to what other posters already said) was that she called Lana's death an "unfortunate circumstance" and she's very sad for the family, but she has to move on "This is my home". No, an unfortunate circumstance would be the cleaners ruining a blouse. So you either fix it or buy a new blouse. Murder, however, is an unacceptable tragedy that affects so many lives and cannot be undone. Phil's innocence and appeal - a pair of major deniers of reality. For me, I have never felt she was sincere about anything but her own need to benefit financially from her marriage.

Nora said...

One thing I can say about Rachelle's life - she is surrounded by Phil's "things", from HIS past, these are HIS memories. She was not there and they aren't about her memories. She is living vicariously through Phil's past and his successess, all that happened before Rachelle was even born. Hope she can cozy up to a photo or the chair that Lana was murdered in, with Phil's suit and feel good about her life. "Money can't buy me love..." = The Beatles.

Nora said...

Sprocket and anybody else - if you can see spirit and have the 20/20 recorded, look at the segment where Rachelle is giving her b.s. story of Lana's death, with the red carpet with the evidence numbers on the floor next to Lana - above the number 6 is a male spirit with curly long hair and a prominent nose. I asked to see who was there and responsible for Lana's death and he showed up. See if you can see him, too. Relax your eyes then look.

Clueless Chelle said...

Great comments, you guys!

What's up with Chelle giving a re-enactment of the night in question? If Phil never told her what happened, then why attempt to reconstruct something you are CLUELESS CHELLE about?
They're both dreaming if they think this concocting up this crap
helps Phil or his "legacy."

Doncha love Chelle's birthday party scene? Happily blowing out candles while Phil is locked up. Yep, that was really tastefully added!

Chelle wouldn't say either way if they have a pre-nup. Why didn't she flat out deny it, would have been WAY more convincing.

That's what you get when you have a bimbo as your "wife" and spokesperson. Like the people in the earlier segment that suffer from money issues, I must say, Phil sure got what he paid for.

CC

Jesdamala said...

IF Phil never told her what happened that night, how in the world can she assume his innocence?

Tragic, yes, intended, not sure, but this man was a weapon waiting to happen. It did. Cannot believe 20/20 would highlight this bride, and I did not see it, but this Bride saw her opportunity and swooped in. Hang in and hang on folowers, wait to see what happens to the appeal. The appeal of her being all over the media is news
24/7 that needs to be filled. Be content for now that he is rotting in a small cell, with little contact to the outside world, and suffering, which I am sure of.

Bride is never going to have a singing career, ever, as nobody in Phil's previous life has come forth to support him, well, not too many.

For the life of me, cannot imagine while the media continues to be sucked into this, other than the need to fill space/time.

But Sprocket, I will tell you, I am still interested, so what does that tell you about me? Keep the posts coming....and any news if his first wife was ever found? Which I believe has nothing to do with PS. Was her son his son? Curious?

Anonymous said...

What kind of woman laughs and says she fooled a man and got him to marry her? My heart broke as I watched her laying there petting his suit. I wonder if she keeps one of his weaves on the pillow?

When it comes to her singing abilities, I believe when asked she sang a few notes along with the Bulldog to Be My Baby during her interview on a KNews radio show. Between that and the trombone playing on the ABC show I have a better idea of her range of musical talents LOL. I'm not impressed. I still haven't gotten around to watching Tigrland but the bed scene with the suit is probably all I can handle at this time.

I felt it was very disrespectful and tasteless to call what happened to Lana an unfortunate circumstance. I hope the journalist regrets allowing himself himself to be a pawn to her "reinactment".

Spector Did It said...

Can anyone please give me an actual number for the producer, Harry Phillips, Chris Connelly,
NOT voice mail, actual person?

They need to hear from us, IMO.

~Cor

CaliGirl9 said...

I read the KTLA article … Charlie asked Phil to “come over?” Yeah, prison is a very social place and inmates are skipping from facility to facility to share news and a spot of tea.

More like an inmate on Phil’s unit slipped a note under the door.

Though the visual image of Phil getting ready for a play date with Charles Manson is priceless … Tape recorder? Check. Paper for writing down lyrics? Check. My wig. Check. Handgun. No can do!

Does anyone else see a George Frangides (“Misunderstood”) skit coming out of this?

I think I’ll e-mail him with the idea … LOL

Anonymous said...

When the Clarksons win the Civil Case, 'Chelle will not know what hit her! The reinactment of the death scene that she keeps doing is tasteless in the extreme, and regardless of what you believe happened, I hope the Clarkson attorneys BITE THEIR ASSES OFF---period.

Nora said...

Rachelle - your 15 minutes are up.

Ashley said...

Whenever Rachelle gives an interview, she always says the same thing. I think that it might be rehearsed or something. How many interviews has she done?

Nora said...

Here's an article about Manson, Spector and Rachelle.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=6943484

Sprocket said...

Interviews:

Rachelle has done quite a few interviews. Some of them are available to view/listen to on her web site.

I know she was on the radio a week or so ago, on a station based in Palm Springs, CA. I heard about it, I didn't listen to it. No time anymore.

In support of Phil, not Rachelle said...

I left a msg. for Hal Lifson about this. Not all of us fans are in love with Rachelle. I hope she knows that.

If Phil Spector was just a Wal Mart greeter (no offense to those who are) do you really think she would have given him a second glance?

Pitiful-he's in prison and she's boasting about the Smart Car she owns thanks to him. Hey Rachelle, just because you own one doesn't make you smart!
She's pointing out cars he won't be riding in anytime soon. She's blowing out candles on a cake while he's eating mush.

She couldn't even shed one tear for the guy. The whole suit stroking scene struck me as obscene. Grotesque!

I agree with the other poster about Mr. Connelly's body language. He was revolted and looked so stiff. His eyes widened-he tried hard to keep it in.

I could tell she was lying a lot by her body language-when people tell lies, they will look down a lot, or look off to the side, which she did constantly. When she was sincere (rarely) her voice tone remained the same. When she was lying her tone fluctuated. Subtle change-but it was there.

With all due respect to Mr. Lifson and how he remarked about her "youthful innocence"--she is NO innocent. She's been around the block. It shows in her face and mannerisms, hello, they showed her cussing into a phone. How innocent is that. She's no innocent. She's not just an ordinary gold digger either. I agree she's in it for the status too. When she says how hot she is for Phil-she is turned on by the "prestige" and not the person he really is.

I tried going into this with a fresh perspective but sorry Rachelle,you closed my mind up even more to you. This interview really pissed me off and it should piss Phil off too. There are two types of Phil supporters: those who quietly can't stand her but won't publicly admit it, and those who will. Show me a supporter who really, truly loves her and has no ulterior motive in that. I will be Chelle-shocked if you can.

Nora said...

I wonder how Rachelle explains away the chauffeur's testimony of what Phil did and said after he killed Lana? Calling outside to him, holding the gun, and saying, "I think I killed somebody." Those who saw the 20/20 show saw Rachelle swear on the phone, we saw her phony act, and that she looks older than she purports to be. My son couldn't believe she is the same age as he. She has proven that from the moment she tricked Spector into marriage that she can't be trusted. Well...I guess birds of a feather do flock together.

The Sad Truth said...

Rachelle Spector has a huge yet easily bruised ego.

America can't stand her, yet she's still desperately trying to win us over in every interview. It's like, look at ME and all my cool stuff!!! This stuff must validate me as being a worthy person. If she can be happy with the outside she'll never have to look inside.

She claims Spector can't hurt a fly. What about the diary she's been known to keep, listing every abusive thing Spector has said or done to her. Or the 911 calls she made to the police when he wouldn't let her leave the premises? Or when she told Michelle Blaine she "didn't want to end up like LC!"

She admitted that she had no kind of success before Spector. Being with Spector makes up for her inadequacies. Being his "CEO" somehow gives her some delusion that she has "power" and a sense of importance and entitlement.

Where are her accomplishments, charitable contributions to society? Where's any genuine love for her husband? Where's any sense of substance? Where's her youth-it fled from her face years ago!

Personally I'm glad ABC showed her cussing into the phone and calling the murder "an unfortunate circumstance." Why? Because ABC thwarted her every attempt at playing the part of sweet, innocent, supportive wife! ABC showed everyone her TRUE colors!

She'll never be Ronnie Spector
or Nancy Sinatra. Rachelle Spector has accomplished absolutely nothing in her life.
He's shelved Ronnie's music, he'll shelve hers' too, and she'll just stay on the shelf collecting dust.

Anonymous said...

Now Rachelle Spector is claiming that darling Phil was forced to sleep naked on his cell floor. I do not believe that for a minute. For some reason she thinks she can make him seem like a victim. She does not understand that prison is not supposed to be a place of comfort and privilege. And she really doesn't understand that there is nothing she can do to change anything. Only his appeal can do that, and I think there is very little hope for the appeal.

Ray

Nora said...

The bottom line is that Phil Spector was found guilty of murdering Lana Clarkson, and his sentence is prison, and that's where he is for what he had done. No mistake.

The Sad Truth said...

Ray, Sprocket, whoever can answer this,

if Rachelle and Phil both are claiming this sleeping naked stuff happened in prison, why isn't sue-happy Spector breathing down the prison's neck? Where's the impending lawsuit?

And if this claim that he slept naked was so friggin' important, why didn't Rachelle delve more into this during the interview?

In the time it took to brag about her cars, display colorful language, "play" the trombone, show off her ring, blow out candles, creepily paw at his suit on the bed and brag about a "music career," she could have drawn more attention to his "living conditions." Instead she made a mere mention by reading his letter, in a robotic voice, and that was it. Where are your priorities, poor-put-upon wife?? Oh wait---it's ALL about you, honey, you just love the limelight.
Caring wife my @ss!

In support of Phil, not Rachelle said...

Sad Truth, look at this just posted today:

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/spectors-wife-devastated-by-letter-from-jail_1111574

Devastated? As if!

I was one of the fans who wrote him about Rachelle and her lack of overall class. In his response he said that Rachelle is pretty, just not 'public.' And boy, does it ever show! LOL!

I think Rachelle undermines everything the guy is trying to accomplish. Since he's in prison he has limited access to every slip up she makes, at this point too numerous to count LOL. Either that or he doesn't mind being made a fool of, and just as he cares a lot about his appearance, I would hope he'd care about how SHE makes him look....BAD!

Anonymous said...

If I were Mrs. Spector, how would I feel if the world hated me and said such nasty things about me? When I think about it that way, I actually feel bad for her. Then I don't want to join everyone in belittling her. If I were in her shoes I wouldn't want people being vicious towards me.

But then..I look at all the
-->bad stuff<-- she says and does, how she treats people, how she carries herself and how she has zero sympathy for Ms. Clarkson.
How could anyone truly like lady? Hate to say it but Mrs. Spector really DOES deserve all the negativity that everyone is heaping upon her. As a good Christian I'm taught to never cast the first stone, but she casts a lot of bad ones out herself and what you give out, you get back!

God bless,
Harriet

Anonymous said...

"I think Rachelle undermines everything the guy is trying to accomplish."

Interesting comment since Phil hasn't accomplished anything in yrs (way before he murdered Lana and married Rachelle) and won't be able to again since he is in prison where he belongs.

Does Rachelle make money off these interviews? Can they use the many lies she tells against Phil in the pending civil suit? Not that they really need to, just wondering.

I think Phil is quite aware of everything she says and does without a fan having to write him and tell him so. He has lawyers to keep him up to date as well. If Phil or his laywers didn't like what she was doing. She wouldn't be yapp'n as much as she is.

Anonymous said...

Sprocket

Now Spector through one of his flunkies has made another nonsensical claim about being afraid to go out of his cell because Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan might kill him. They are not even in the same prison. Do you have any idea what he hope to gain with this nonsense? It seems bizarre to me.

By the way, I am planning on traveling to Knoxville from Nashville for a few days to watch some of the Cobbins Christian-Newsom murder trial. That has to be one of the most brutal and horrific murder cases I have ever heard of.

Ray