New York, 2011: Garrett Phillips, 12, is found strangled. It would take 18 more months for any more information about what happened to Garrett would come to light. Garrett was taken to the local hospital where he was declared dead later that night. They couldnt break down the door, so they got the manager to unlock the door, which was locked from the inside. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In 2011, Garrett Phillips, who was just 12-years-old, was killed in his upstate New York home. An officer arrived on the scene and found 12-year-old Garrett . -- It was Oct. 24, 2011, when 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was found strangled to death inside his home in Potsdam, New York, a small town near the Canadian border. (Courtesy of HBO ), There was systemic racism and police tunnel vision but when both are linked it becomes really problematic, Garbus explained. "There is obviously no resolution to Garrett Phillips murder," Pasqua said at the time. And Nick doesnt have any of that right now. The case does present a thicket of overlapping roles. "Theyre able to benefit from the mistakes that they learned. When we met Hillary before his trial, we talked about his early years growing up in a large family in Jamaica. Hillary claims Potsdam and St. Lawrence County law enforcement violated his civil rights, in part because hes Black. he was with his girlfriend til 11pm (his girlfriends mom confirmed this). "I think about him every day. The first part of the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? For years, one of the loudest voices demanding justice for Garrett Phillips belonged to his uncle. The window is how it is believed that the killer escaped. And we talked of his passion: Soccer. Who Killed Garrett Phillips? I have so many questions about the ex-boyfriend, John Jones. It's about the unsolved October 2011 murder of a 12-year-old boy, Garrett Phillips, who was strangled by an intruder while he was home alone in the Potsdam, N.Y., apartment he shared with his . On that rainy afternoon in October 2011, police responded to the scene at just after 5 p.m. after next-door neighbors heard concerning noises from Garrett's apartment and called 911. Hillary, after years in the bulls-eye of public opinion, also broke down in tears, a free man once more. However, at 6:24pm, Nicks daughter texted her dad asking what was for dinner, despite having told the police Nick was home with her at the time of the murder and they had talked about dinner. There was very little energy around anything else in this case., Over time, as Garbus kept asking the key players in the case to relive and rehash the nitty, gritty details, she says she doesnt feel that changed. It's an unlikely setting for what reporter Jesse McKinley of the New York Times would tell us turned out to be a story about "love triangles and fated love." Tandy said she broke up with Nick because Garrett didnt like him. Bastuk says now is the time to draw national attention to a murder case thats been unsolved for too long. "You would think, like, wouldn't someone hear somebody yelling, or see something or do anything? Just like his father, spitting image of my brother, a heck of a little athlete. The window is approximately 20 feet above the ground, Murray said. "Mr. Jones went on to say that if I was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend he would have 'kicked in my door,'" Hillary said. "Im here because justice is due for Garrett and justice is due for Nick Hillary, too," Baxtron said on Friday. As Tandy would tell us, Nick was rigid -- a man with a plan for every day. "The Garrett Phillips case is just full of the appearance of impropriety.". Phillips died soon after at a hospital. In the wake of the shocking murder of the boy -- in the very early hours of the investigation -- Tandy and her family believed that Nick Hillary was the likely killer. He argues he was treated differently than another suspect in the case, a deputy sheriff named John Jones. Hillary was confused, especially because Jones was not in his deputy uniform and he wasn't sure if Jones was there in an official capacity or not. Nick tried to leave for work, and the police blocked the door. In most cases, there's a hierarchy. But no one would see his killer leap out of the back window. The latest events in the case come as Oral "Nick" Hillary, who was found not guilty of the murder, is suing Potsdam and St. Lawrence County police, claiming he was unfairly accused because he is Black. Pasqua and local police have declined to comment. Despite housing crisis, there's pushback against development, Rochester man dies in snowmobile crash on the Tug Hill, Hochul wants to tie the minimum wage to inflation. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. Because we werent gonna get justice for him.". New pieces complicate Garrett Phillips murder storyPeople in St. Lawrence County know his face: the smiling, golden-haired 12-year-old boy, Garrett Phillips. Dismiss. Meanwhile Garretts autopsy was done. #AD - Use this link for a 7-day free trial - http://bit.ly/23sh00652In today's video I discuss the case of Garrett Phillips as well as the documentary 'Who k. But now, St. Lawrence Countys new prosecutor, Gary Pasqua, says he's learned of another lead that points away from Hillary. Rain credited the "Justice for Garrett" movement Brian Phillips, Garrett's uncle, sold and distributed thousands of posters bearing the slogan and raised $40,000 for a reward fund . At that point "we weren't sure what we had," Murray told "20/20." You know, outlandish thoughts like, 'Maybe Garrett fell out the window and made his way back up here and died,' or an accident happened in the apartment and one of the kids didn't wanna get caught or in trouble, so he went out the window. There was another former flame of his mother Tandy Cyrus a local sheriffs deputy against whom she had previously filed a complaint saying he made her fear for the safety of myself and my sons.. Nick had to leave the station that day in a hazmat suit. When asked if it was under investigation, Pasqua responded: "I think that's safe to say, yes.". It was almost Halloween, a rainy late Monday afternoon in Potsdam, NY, when a security camera high atop a high school recorded a video that still makes the hair on your neck stand-up. Trainum is part of a growing movement that encourages police and prosecutors to check their work with these reviews. The police had a theory about the motivation, a story about obsessive love gone wrong. Knowing where John Jones is now shows how differently he was treated by police after Phillips' murder. And they havent been in touch with Garrett Phillips family. Around 5:16pm, the police arrived. The lead does not involve Nick Hillary, the person who was found not guilty of Garrett Phillips' murder. Advocates for the wrongfully accused are trying to draw new attention to the murder of Garrett Phillips in Potsdam nine years ago. Now, it looks like as if the case is not over after all not since new information made its way to police. Shanna testified that Hillary was home with her at the . If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. On October 26, two days after the murder, Nick was brought into the station. Director Jesse Quackenbush, a man from Albany, New York who graduated from the University of Houston Law School in 1987 and, that year, moved to Amarillo, made the documentary The Last Word which argues that Garrett was in fact innocent of the crime. ", North County Public Radio - NPR for the Adirondack North Country, For years, there were no formal charges in Garrett Phillips' murder. Who Killed Garrett Phillips? airs July 23 and 24 on HBO. The big question now is how law enforcements following up. Interim Police Chief in Potsdam, New York, Mark Murray, stands in the house where Phillips' body was found on Sept. 27, 2016. When 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered in 2011 . Garretts mother, Tandy Cyrus, has said that her son was a gregarious boy who had absolutely no fear. Trainum has an extensive background workingon cases himself. Pictured is the 100 Market St. apartment building in Potsdam, New York. His killer is still out there. Rain is no longer in office, and the new St. Lawrence County D.A., Gary Pasqua, was reluctant to discuss the tip in an interview with NCPR. He would be both judge and jury in what's called a bench trial. Also the Mom of Brandon's girlfriend also overheard Brandon talking about this unidentified male. It doesn't appear as though his daily life has been drastically altered following the case: without reports to the contrary, one can assume that he still resides in Potsdam, New York. It was two days after 12 year-old Garrett Phillips was found strangled to death in his home in Potsdam. Oct. 24 marked the ninth anniversary of the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. After Garrett is seen turning towards his house, the car is seen following him. The police photographed the window, took fingerprints and took the blinds as evidence. The police also made Nick strip down in the nude, so they could take photographs. Nick was the head soccer coach at Clarkston University, and had played there himself. The police also noticed Nicks ankle was swollen and he had an abrasion on his ankle. The prosecution, he ruled, had not made its circumstantial case "beyond a reasonable doubt." Garbus says her team did analysis on that tape beyond what the police had done but no new developments came out of it. "The head person, the most dominant person everybody is gonna follow their lead," said James Trainum, a nationally-recognized police consultant. Filling the benches behind, were foursquare supporters of Hillary across the aisle from Tandy's extended family. The lawn signs of a grinning 12-year-old boy demanding Justice for Garrett remain scattered around the town. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. His close friend Mani Tafari is less optimistic. Garbus questioned them about their missteps and lack of physical or DNA evidence tying Hillary to the crime. "The district attorneys office, the police, and the sheriffs department refuse to get to the bottom of things and basically have swept this investigation under the rug.". Shanna Hillary is the eldest of Nick Hillary's five children. Despite the fact that the circumstantial evidence against him and Hillary was so similar, he didn't suffer nearly so many consequences as Hillary did. Vogel called the police to tell them what shed heard, and police arrived at the apartment less than ten minutes later. Director Liz Garbus is pictured in an undated photo. ", Shortly after he took office in 2018, the new St. Lawrence County D.A., Gary Pasqua, told NCPR he wanted to conduct his own review. The district attorney, Mary Rain, teared up at a post-verdict press conference, and said Tandy told her, I know you guys tried., But Nicks attorney Earl Ward, speaking to a group of press outside the courthouse, reiterated what the defense team maintained all along: Nick Hillary is an innocent man., Nick spent that afternoon surrounded by a group of family, supporters and former soccer teammates. What 12-year-old kid just isnt right full of life? Lauren Rosenthal (Investigative Reporter and Producer), A phone call from inside the investigation, Gumball machine serves up free poetry in the Adirondacks, Not in Old Forge's backyard? They called 911 around 5:08pm. He was the last person seen with him and he was know to be violent and committed a confirmed violent act. proceeds with the case. A 'Justice for Garrett' sign is pictured in an undated photo. Her father said Ill be right back through the door, and when she got out of the shower 20 minutes later, her father was home. Police said they tested every person with access to the apartment, including residents and maintenance staff. But Murray said, "even if we had collected hairs and fibers [matching Hillary], he had been in the apartment -- he moved [Garrett's mother] Tandy in, he was in the apartment in the middle of the night on a number of occasions. However, Postdam is apparently really small, so if you go a different way it doesnt take long to be back where you started. They said that he had a limp in his right leg, however, the video is grainy and I didnt see any limp. with hopes to shed more light on the devastating case. Heres what you need to know about the case. The Murder of Garrett Phillips: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. After first reading about the case in a New York Times article, Garbus recalls being struck by the thematic issues and concerns that, I think, are ones that spoke to larger systemic problems. Specifically what caught her attention was that the local polices focus was on one of Phillips mothers ex-boyfriends, a Jamaican American man who was well-known around town as a soccer coach, despite the fact that he had an alibi and that there had been rumblings of other possible suspects early on. He thought Nick [Hillary] was the guy, so I think the likelihood of this being pursued by the police and the DA needs the police to do the pursuing is pretty low. A new foreign DNA company called Starmix said that Nicks DNA matched the crime scene, however, during the investigation, the police said the DNA mixture was too small. ', The Mandalorian Season 3 Probably Wont Make Any Sense Unless Youve Watched The Book of Boba Fett, The True Story Behind 'Cocaine Bear': A 175-Pound Beast, a Dead Drug Smuggler in Gucci Loafers and More, Jeremy Renner Posts Recovery Workout Video After Snow Plow Accident: 'Whatever It Takes', Courteney Cox Says 'Scream 6 Was the First Time She Fought Ghostface and Didnt Know Who Was Under the Mask, Courteney Cox Reflects on 'Friends,' Her Career, and Yes, Prince Harry Doing Mushrooms at Her House: 'I Definitely Wasn't Passing Them Out', HBO's Leading Man: Casey Bloys on Perfecting 'The Last of Us,' HBO Max Streaming Merger and Axing Shows, A24 Sweeps Film Categories at the 2023 SAG Awards as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Breaks Record for Most Wins, Jean Smart 'Doing Well, Recovering' Following Heart Procedure, Says Hacks Co-Star Hannah Einbinder, Ke Huy Quan Becomes First Asian Male Film Winner at SAG Awards for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. Ignorance and arrogance walk hand in hand through "Who Killed Garrett Phillips ?"documentarian Liz Garbus 's incendiary true-crime drama about the death of . 1.) Where was he on the day of the murder? Over four hours, Garbuss Who Killed Garrett Phillips? painstakingly covers the surprising murder that rocked the small town in Northern New York in 2011. The DNA was ruled immiscible, and the case was based on circumstantial evidence. And while the killer of the 12-year-old boy could still be on the loose, Oral Nick Hillary paid the price at the time of the murder, as he was initially named as a key suspect. Today, Garrett's mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty in the boy's murder. Nick said he was shocked and surprised to hear the allegations of bad blood between him and the young boy. Then, ABC News 20/20 will interview the accused ex-boyfriend of Phillips mother, Oral Nick Hillary, for the first time since he was acquitted two days ago. The boy in the security video was 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. Read more at watertowndailytimes.com. Tandy also told the police that Nick had a key, and had shown up at their house unannounced one night, and stood over her bed. Hillary does not shy away from the scrutiny the film will bring, saying his ordeal will have had purpose if it saves others from similar mistreatment by law enforcement. "It's very frustrating," he told "20/20." A deputy sheriff as a suspect who also helps the investigation. The next part of the investigation was from a surveillance camera. He wore a T-shirt and blue-and-white checkered shorts. The police wanted to locate Garretts family and tell them what had happened. Photo: David Sommerstein, D.A. Why would I even want to hurt a child, after having worked with kids for over two decades? Powered by. When police arrived and got into the apartment, they found Garrett unresponsive on the floor in a bedroom. Whatever has come to light or will come in the years ahead Phillips said hes tried to focus on the good. A St. Lawrence County prosecutor says there's a new tip in the Garrett Phillips murder case. "I dont know that its fair to them to keep reliving it unless something new or different happens. Soon afterwards, a neighbor in Garretts apartment building heard strange noises and called 911. But I hope Im wrong about that, Garbus tells Variety. "It was over five years whether it was selling stickers, selling T-shirts, [raising money for] the reward, " Brian Phillips said in an interview with NCPR last week. Hillary has since moved back to the city, where he coaches soccer and wishes the film will put pressure on cops to solve the murder. From the polices point of view, they thought they had the best suspect the most they could put together on someone, says Garbus. Oral "Nick" Hillary and Tandy Cyrus are pictured in an undated photo. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally attacked at his home in Potsdam in 2011. Yet, the suspect was indicted for a second time before he was found innocent by Judge Felix Catena, in 2016. The HBO documentary is likely the best place to get an update on Jones. She added Nick warned her, "If I didn't get Garrett under control or get him on a more strict schedule, then when he got older I wasn't gonna be able to control him. Police suspect the killer jumped out it after strangling Garrett. Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York. On the morning of October 26, 2011, Hillary, then a soccer coach in Potsdam, was summoned to the Potsdam police station. She said they were still intimate that night, but she demanded her key back. Photo: Lauren Rosenthal. There was word that several other boys were with Garrett when he died. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. On May 14, 2014, Nick was arrested and charged with second degree murder. But despite being a free man, it seems Hillary is still struggling to clear his name in his community. His backpack was taken off. MORE : Robbie Williams takes terrifying Halloween decorations to the next level with a giant witch statue, MORE : Rose McGowan pays homage to Mia Farrow on Halloween in Rosemarys Baby costume, Putin formally suspends last nuclear arms treaty left with the US, Today presenter forced to leave mid-show and rush home after falling ill, Boy, 15, shot dead by his older brother, Scott Mills misses romantic weekend after getting locked in electric car for five hours, How a group of LGBTQ+ MPs helped fight Hitler years before Britain did, Robbie Williams takes terrifying Halloween decorations to the next level with a giant witch statue, Rose McGowan pays homage to Mia Farrow on Halloween in Rosemarys Baby costume, Do not sell or share my personal information. Photo: David Sommerstein, Oral "Nick" Hillary was found not guilty on Wednesday in the 2011 murder of twelve-year-old Garrett Phillips. Murray and another officer, Gary Snell (who Garbus notes declined to be interviewed for the doc), interrogated Hillary after conducting a joint interview with Phillips mother Tandy and John Jones, who was not only her ex-boyfriend but also a sheriffs deputy at the time of the crime, and later briefly brought under suspicion because he was seen on tape by Phillips just before the murder. I was in complete shock, she told ABC News. There was really nothing beyond whats in the film that we were able to learn.. The mystery of what happened to Garrett Phillips continues. HBO. Even more interesting is that Brandon has a cousin who was 15 at the time named Amos who is black and Hillary's lawyer believes they have information that puts Amos and Brandon at the scene and may have information regarding the murder. After it ended in an acquittal, Phillips said he had to draw back. Still, hed urge every black person in America to see the movie., We can change how black people deal with the system, Tafari says, so they understand that when it comes to law enforcement, you are going to be the subject of their suspicion and you should learn that cooperation could dig your own grave.. 24. "You could see that Garrett had neatly set his sneakers by the closet. Nick told the police that he was with his assistant coach, a man named Ian at the time of the murder. They moved in just months before Garrett died, after Cyrus and Hillary broke up. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally Mar 08, 2019 A St. Lawrence County prosecutor says there's a new tip in the Garrett Phillips murder case. The two-part HBO documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? doesnt solve the mystery but looks at the case through a critical lens. He added: "It was definitely frustrating. Hillary still swears by his innocence, while the cops and prosecutor reiterate that Hillary was the only person who could have done this and had opportunity in their minds.. All of other window screens in the home were intact, Murray said. It was a dramatic tableau in an ornate courtroom. It was a long wait leading up to the trial in 2016. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. A Brandon D. Murphy from nearby Norfolk was arrested in 2013 for sexual contact with a minor under 14. Photo: Lauren Rosenthal, Over 50 people gathered to release balloons in memory of Garrett Phillips in 2016. His neighbours turned against the proud father, and he was soon fired from his job back in 2011. Despite housing crisis, there's pushback against development, Rochester man dies in snowmobile crash on the Tug Hill, Hochul wants to tie the minimum wage to inflation. "To keep dredging up that case and to continue to put people in the spotlight who Im sure dont want to be in the spotlight like Garrett Phillips family," Pasqua said. aired on HBO on Jul. On the same courthouse steps in Canton where Hillary walked away a free man after being cleared in Garrett Phillips death almost four years ago, a couple dozen people held a press conference Friday afternoon. Nick also denied this ever happened. She ignored Hillary's phone calls. Here was the thing about the investigation though: crime scene techs could come up with no forensic clues -- no fingerprints, no DNA, no tissue and no hair linking Nick to what was theorized to be a violent hands-on struggle in a small space. I personally dont think Nick killed Garrett, but theres just no proof of him doing it. The duo were joined by lawyer Mani Tafari, who also shared his view on the case. Director Liz Garbus Writer Karen Sim Stars Oral Hillary Brian Phillips Tyler Rodrigues See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video In 2006, Hillary was acquitted of murder after a trial before a judge without a jury, The jury pool came from the same individuals who had elected the district attorney, Hillary, 45, told The News. On Wednesday morning, Hillary was found not guilty by a judge, after a two-week long trial. It doesnt say what his relationship was like. Years ago, Nick patronized a bar on Potsdam's main drag where the bartender was a single mother. Is Nick guilty or innocent? After the trial ended in 2016, Murray told NCPR, were confident we prosecuted the right person.. He died at the hospital that night. The lawsuit alleged that Hillary's civil rights had been violated during his trial. Edward F. Narrow, the Canton attorney who represented Oral "Nick" Hillary, the former Clarkson University men's soccer coach acquitted of the boy's murder, said that leads involving inconsistent statements . That there'd been a rush to judgment. That's a remarkable jump from the window.". Garrett Cunningham Expand search. (Hillary has denied visiting the apartment without Cyrus' permission. "Even the appearance of impropriety is as devastating in its consequences to the judicial system as the actual impropriety itself," said Downs. Fast forward to October 24, 2011. Tips come in. A 'Justice for Garrett' sign is pictured in an undated photo. The DA says an investigation is ongoing, but its hard to know if police are taking the new information seriously. Cyrus says that when she showed up at the hospital, her son had bruises all over his face, and Marks on his neck. Genre: Documentary. Hillary is now a free man, and he cannot be retried. When he arrived back home to the second-floor apartment he shared with his mother and younger brother , someone would strangle and suffocate the life out of the boy. Nick is innocent, and cannot be retried. I believe John Jones committed the murder. What do you think about this case? Text. His arms were at his side and his legs close together. The first afternoon, of many, spent rebuilding his life. They struck up an easy conversation that, in short order, became a live-in relationship with a blended family. Dismiss. About his hitch in the U.S. Army. According to Grantland, Officer Mark Wentworth investigated the apartment at 100 Market Street. For more information, please see our Today, Garrett's mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty in the boy's murder. Advocates say raise it first, DEC says 2022 tied for the safest hunting season on record, Governor Kathy Hochul Releases New York State Budget, New York redistricting commission to hold final public hearings this week, New York unlikely to have a new chief judge until later this spring, Adirondack Council leader to step down later this year, Stefanik opens district office in Rensselaer County Government building, Budget watchdog says NY should plan for an upcoming "fiscal cliff", Community Advisory Board (NCPR Executive Council). Theyre calling for the state Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the 12 year-old boys death. As least, thats what many may hope after the new St. Lawrence County district attorney admitted a new tip earlier this spring. Also pictured is his defense team, Norman Siegel, left, Edward Narrow, right center, and Earl Ward, right. Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. Director: Liz Garbus. Its so heartbreaking, and I feel bad for his family. There was a blue car that the police zeroed in on. He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves). The prosecutor would thunder that the camera had in fact recorded Nick out "hunting" for the boy just minutes before his death. His mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty of the murder just over two years ago in a. Its season 6 episode 2 titled Home Alone.. If Carranza, the dude changing a tire at 100 Market, saw a black man in the window, could it have been Amos? The person who brutally murdered Garrett Phillips is still allowed to walk free. But going forward, it looks like industry-shifting life sciences After Nick was done smoking, he kept the butts in his pocket and even put one in the drain. He is also a Jamaican immigrant, who was living in a community that was 94 % white a fact crucial to understanding how the justice system failed Garrett, Brooklyn-based director Liz Garbus told the Daily News. First, why the actual eff was he allowed to be in the interrogation room with Tandy? It wasnt until later that Cyrus was finally informed that her son was strangled to death. She was raising two boys, he had three kids from a past relationship. But he said Hillarys situation fits in with nationwide protests over racism in policing a Black man associated with a crime even after a not guilty verdict. People want to be heroes. If there's been an acquittal, Trainum said, thats all the more reason for investigators to take a step back and consider how the case unfolded. Shanna-Kay, who is now 19-years-old, has testified that on the day of the murder, she was at Potsdam High School. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The cops checked out the alibis of the significant men in Tandy's life, including a sheriff's deputy, but they seemed to always have their sights on Hillary. Garrett, 12, was found strangled in his empty home on October 24, 2011, with no witnesses reporting seeing the killer enter or exit the second-floor apartment. NY Man Speaks out After Not Guilty Verdict in Murder of Ex's Son: He was accused of strangling to death his e https://t.co/y1qpX8JO62, Around 5pm on the night of Monday, October 24, Sean Hall and his fiance, Marisa Vogel, heard a scream, a bang, and then moans, coming from the neighboring apartment.
We Value Our Partnership And Look Forward To Continuing,
Articles G