Dominick Dunne never got around to writing about the murder of Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich in 1976, but he devoted an episode of his 2002-2009 television series, Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice, to the killing – and the mockery of a trial that followed.
Spider, a popular fixture in the Aspen scene, was shot by his longtime live-in girlfriend, singer-actress Claudine Longet. This is approximately where the agreed-upon facts end. Alicia sets the stage and then takes us through the trial and its aftermath, where Longet’s Hollywood lawyer, paid for by her crooner ex-husband Andy Williams, fully overwhelmed the sleepy ski town’s police and prosecutors.
Sources
Claudine Longet | The Murder of Spider Sabich | Crime Documentaries (YouTube link)
Andy Williams Says of Claudine (people.com)
Andy Williams denies calling ex-wife Claudine Longet a ‘crazy-type girl’ at her 1977 trial (nydailynews.com)
27 Sep The Incandescent Life and Untimely Death of Spider Sabich (tahoequarterly.com)
Moon River – Andy Williams (YouTube link)
Andy Williams ‘Battle Hymn Of The Republic’ 45 rpm (YouTube link)