Compiled from News Agencies
LOS ANGELES - The ex model/actress found slain in music producer Phil Spector's mansion was a cult figure in B-movies who sold her pinups on the Internet and worked as a ticket collector at a blues club as her career faded, associates said Tuesday.

Lana Clarkson, 40, was discovered by B-movie king Roger Corman and starred in a series of films including "Barbarian Queen," a character Corman said was the model for TV's "Xena: Warrior Princess." She modeled lingerie for catalogues in 1985-1988, appearing on the cobver of "Woman's World" in April 1987.

"Lana was a beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, and an adventurous spirit," Corman said Tuesday in a statement. "Always brave, she performed all of her own stunts, and showed unusual fortitude and athleticism in her horseback riding and fight sequences."

Spector was arrested before dawn Monday for investigation of first-degree murder after Clarkson's body was found in the foyer of his mansion, about 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles. He was freed Monday night after posting $1 million bail. No charges have been filed.

Lt. Dan Rosenberg said deputies found the weapon used in the slaying but declined to say where in the house it was located. The call reporting that shots had been fired came from inside the residence, he said.

The investigation into the slaying shows that Spector and Clarkson met at a nightclub in Los Angeles, said Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County coroner's office. No further details were immediately available.

Clarkson had her own Web site and a company called Living Doll Productions. She appeared in TV commercials and was a guest at comic book and pop culture conventions dressed as "Barbarian Queen."

She began working last month at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip where she was a ticket collector and hostess, friends and associates said.

"She wasn't thrilled to have people from the industry see her doing that, but she thought it was a good step to get back into the mainstream," said her neighbor, Paul Pietrewicz.

Julie Jungwirth said she's rented a one-story house in the Venice area of Los Angeles to Clarkson for over two years. Clarkson would attach a letter with every rent payment, she said.

"In the last letter, she apologized for sending the rent in late. She said last year was not so great for her and ended it by saying 2003 will be better. It's so sad to think about that," Jungwirth said.

Spector's lawyer, Robert Shapiro, once an attorney for O.J. Simpson, declined requests for comment from The Associated Press. Spector's next court appearance was set for March 3.

Could model's son be raised in Suffolk?
By Liz Hearnshaw and Sam Thomson, East Anglian Daily TimesCaspar

SCHOOLS have always had model pupils, but in a few years East Anglia could be educating its very own supermodel student.

Neighbours of showbiz couple Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn have been excitedly reacting to reports their newly-born son could be raised in Suffolk.

Born on Thursday by Caesarean section at the exclusive Portland Hospital in London, the baby was named yesterday as Caspar Matthew.

Hopefully, this will not lead to any playground teasing if the couple do decide to send him to a school near their magnificent home at Coldham Hall in Stanningfield, which the couple bought for a reputed £7.5 million.

All Saints Primary School in Lawshall is closest to the family seat, although teachers might miss out on a star-studded parents' night as Caspar's home actually lies outside its catchment area.

Instead, it will probably be the staff at Great Whelnetham Primary School who teach the toddler his ABCs - although being the son of a couple so used to attending glitzy parties, he might be more interested in RSVPs.

But school headteacher Carol Ingham was undaunted by the prospect of having such a celebrity student.

“She may well want to send him here, as it is such a lovely school with a friendly family atmosphere and high standards,” she said.

“We have about 80 children here, ranging from four years old to nine. He would make lots of friends and we would be happy to have him.”

Regardless of where Caspar learns his sums, residents felt the serene surroundings of Coldham Hall would be an excellent place for Ms Schiffer and Mr Vaughn to raise their son.

Mary Fuggles, chairman of the Stanningfield Parish Council, said: “I think Stanningfield is an excellent place to raise a child.

“It is a lovely country location with a lot of woodland and pasture around that her son could explore.

“It is an absolutely wonderful place to grow up and children who have been raised round here would say the same. I'm sure Caspar would fit in beautifully.”

The sleepy village of Stanningfield, just outside Bury St Edmunds, has already been overrun by the world's media when Ms Schiffer and Mr Vaughn got married at a nearby church - and speculation is growing Caspar could be christened at the same venue.

Residents were overrun with international news teams in May as photographers and cameramen fought alongside fans to capture a glimpse of Ms Schiffer's designer wedding dress prior to the ceremony at St George's Church in Shimpling.

Security was high, to protect a deal with celebrity magazine Hello, but East Anglian Daily Times photographer Michael Hall thwarted the waiting paparazzi to snap exclusive shots of the bride on her big day.

“Obviously it would be nice to have the baby christened in Suffolk, but I would rather the event wasn't broadcast to such an extent as the wedding,” said Mrs Fuggles.

“The press descended on the village and we even had German television crews over here. The media swamped everywhere in sight.”

Alterations made to the couple's Tudor mansion, which they are understood to have bought in the autumn, are thought to now be complete.

Ms Schiffer, 32, who has appeared on the cover of more than 700 magazines, is reported to have visited Suffolk several times during the renovations to oversee the project.

Mr Vaughn, 31, famed for his involvement in hit movies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, reportedly helped select the 14th Century stone church which hosted the couple's wedding so they could visit in years to come with their children.

Caspar will take the surname De Vere Drummond after Vaughn's wealthy father George De Vere Drummond.

The film producer had, until last year, believed his father to be Man From UNCLE star Robert Vaughn. Since learning the truth about his real father, he has changed his name for private use.