True crime buffs that have grown numb to endless Netflix documentary series and a steady stream of books exposing heinous crimes may seek new stimulation in a new entry to the Alhambra, California real estate market. It's the massive French chateau facsimile owned by record producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector, the site of the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, and it's up for sale with an asking price of $5.5 million.
Dubbed the Pyrenees Castle, the sprawling estate was described by Spector in a 1998 Esquire interview as "a beautiful and enchanting castle in a hick town where there is no place to go that you shouldn't go." That unusual dynamic evidently held some appeal for Spector, since he paid $1.1 million for it back in 1998 and was sometimes seen by other residents of the area driving up to the 2.5-acre estate like "a feudal lord among serfs," as per the Los Angeles Times. That, of course, was before he was sentenced to nineteen years to life in May of 2009.
As for Pyrenees Castle itself, it was built in 1926 when a wealthy Frenchman named Sylvester Dupuy wished to capture the feeling of the castles in his native home here in the US. In the 1940s, it was bought and divided into apartments, before being sold again in the 80s to a Chinese investor who remodeled and reunified the property.
Behind the gated and walled perimeter of the estate sits the 8,700-square-foot castle, with crystal chandeliers and murals on the walls painted by hand. There are nine bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, as well as perks like a game room and, naturally, a hair salon.
Spector is considered a highly influential producer for his development of the famous "wall of sound," a recording style that gave hits by groups like the Ronettes their distinctive sound during the early days of modern pop. He also worked with bands like the Beatles and the Ramones over the course of his long career.
You can take a look at the Pyrenees Castle in the YouTube video below, courtesy of Hilton & Hyland:
