Death at Spector's home 'homicide'

Phil Spector has maintained his innocence

The death of an actress at the home of record producer Phil Spector has been ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

B-movie actress Lana Clarkson, 40, was shot by another person and died of a single gunshot wound to the head and neck, said a spokeswoman for the office, Lieutenant Cheryl MacWillie.

Spector, 62, who is free on $1m (£623,000) bail, has denied that he killed Ms Clarkson, telling Esquire magazine in a recent interview that she shot herself after grabbing a bottle of tequila.

"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."

Lana Clarkson was a B-movie actress

No formal charges have been filed against Spector in connection with the death.

Spector's wall of sound recording technique transformed 1960s pop music.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has worked with artists such as The Beatles, Ramones, Shirelles and Ronettes.