Almost five months and 77 witnesses on the stand later, the prosecution in Phil Spector’s murder trial began its closing arguments today.

Starting on Wednesday and likely to finish by Thursday, both prosecution and defense are expected to wrap up their closing arguments in front of the nine men and three women jury assigned to decide whether or not Phil Spector is guilty of second-degree murder of actress and hostess Lana Clarkson. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler has said that the jury will begin its deliberations on Friday.

"You don't point guns at anything you're not willing to destroy," Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson was quoted by Los Angeles Times as saying, urging the jury to return a guilty verdict.

The 12-member panel will not have the option of considering lesser offences, such as voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.

The 67-year-old music producer is accused of shooting Clarkson at his California home. He had met Clarkson at the House of Blues club earlier the evening before the incident. Spector was arrested in February 2003 after the actress’ body was found in the foyer with a gun in her lap. The cause of death was a bullet fired with the gun straight in Clarkson’s mouth.

The defense built its case claiming Clarkson had killed herself, blaming depression, her financial problems and struggling acting career, while the prosecutors maintained throughout the whole trial that she had no reason to take her own life, and Spector shot her, although they do not suspect him of premeditating his act.

So far, parts of the evidence clashed, with forensic experts being able to sustain both the defense and prosecution’s points of view. However, the prosecution got its hands on a major witness, Spector’s chauffeur, who was reportedly waiting outside the mansion at the time of the alleged murder. In his testimony he said that after he heard what appeared to be a gunshot noise, Spector came out of his house with blood on his jacket and a gun in his hand. The chauffeur said that Spector said, "I think I killed somebody."

If Spector is found guilty, he faces between 15 years and life sentence in prison.