Though the crime happened almost five years ago, the whodunit of it all has consumed this quiet area. It's simple.. "There will be no further investigation," Rain saidat a press conference, "because Im 100 percent certain, as are police, they got the right man.". Tonight, ABC News' 20/20 will investigate the death of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. Bastuk admits theyre just familiarizing the AGs office with the details of the case. Though the crime happened almost five years ago, the whodunit of it all has consumed this quiet area. In Shanna-Kays cross-examination, the prosecution brought her attention to surveillance footage that showed her walking home at 4:02pm, which would have gotten her home at 4:12pm, and therefore into the shower at 4:22 pm. It was two days after 12 year-old Garrett Phillips was found strangled to death in his home in Potsdam. Brian Phillips helped produce hundreds of yard signs that read "Justice for Garrett," with a picture of the boy, smiling. Vogel called the police to tell them what shed heard, and police arrived at the apartment less than ten minutes later. The apartment that Jones helped Cyrus find was the same spot where Phillips was found gravely hurt. Garrett had been strangled and suffocated. HBO. Garrett lived at the apartment at 100 Market St. with his mother, Tandy Cyrus, and younger brother, Aaron. After Garrett is seen turning towards his house, the car is seen following him. The night that her son died, she had no idea what had happened. Nick said he was shocked and surprised to hear the allegations of bad blood between him and the young boy. is available to stream on Sky Crime. 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. Is Nick guilty or innocent? It concerns a group of people who were living in the North Country around the time of the murder. Now, it looks like as if the case is not over after all not since new information made its way to police. As least, that's. Knowing where John Jones is now shows how differently he was treated by police after Phillips' murder. And we talked of his passion: Soccer. But no one would see his killer leap out of the back window. But the verdict came down as not guilty, and Tandy never ended up going on the record with Garbus. Photo: Brit Hanson, Groups call for independent probe of Garret Phillips murder, Groups call for independent probe of Garrett Phillips murder, David Sommerstein (News Director), cleared in Garrett Phillips death almost four years ago, local police and prosecutors declared the case closed, Nick Hillary's civil rights case, and how it links to a broader moment of reckoning, A phone call from inside the investigation, Gumball machine serves up free poetry in the Adirondacks, Not in Old Forge's backyard? Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. ", "That day, I pulled the sign out of my yard. July 18, 2019 2:39 pm ET. Nick told the police that he was with his assistant coach, a man named Ian at the time of the murder. He denied any butt-head moment with Garrett, or spats over homework or chores. The group wrote a letter to DA Pasqua seeking an independent prosecutor two weeks ago. On September 21, Hillarys daughter, Shanna-Kay, took the stand to defend her father. Nick said he was at the high school to watch a soccer game, went home and talked with his daughter, and then went to his assistant coachs house. The first part of the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? #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. All of other window screens in the home were intact, Murray said. Garbus says her team did analysis on that tape beyond what the police had done but no new developments came out of it. Lawyers for Nick Hillary react to acquittal in Garrett Phillips murder case, The defense team for Oral "Nick" Hillary reacted to the decision acquitting their client of second-degree murder in the murder case of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. 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. "It's very frustrating," he told "20/20." "In [the Garrett Phillips] case, the head person is a chief of police who ran the investigation originally, is convinced that they got the right person, and is not going to want to devote a lot of time and resources of his personnel into something that hethinks is useless," Trainum said. Being a father and having known this young man I would hope the objective is to pursue the killer and do the right thing by Garrett Phillips.". [2] With the case still very much open and unsolved, justice for Phillips has not been achieved. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The apartment is on the second floor of the roughly 100-year-old building, Murray said. He also said he'd talked with police and met with Garrett Phillips mother but he didn't want to discuss his findings. 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. "Thats not gonna change.". Shanna testified that Hillary was home with her at the . Hillary has adamantly denied the charge, saying from day one he was innocent. Sky Crime launched the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? Potsdam's chief of police is now Mark Murray, who was lead detective on the Garrett Phillips investigation. I thought this was interesting, but I dont see it as anything other than he didnt want them to have his DNA. It was a dramatic tableau in an ornate courtroom. And then there was the potential witness about whom prosecutors never told the defense a revelation that nearly led to the trials dismissal. Join now Sign in . The police soon zeroed in on Nick Hillary, the ex-boyfriend of Tandy. There were many similarities in Hillary and Jones: they were both romantically connected to Phillips' mother and they were both allegedly seen in proximity to Phillips before the murder. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. For years, one of the loudest voices demanding justice for Garrett Phillips belonged to his uncle. Meanwhile Garretts autopsy was done. NCPR checked in with Pasqua last month. Phillips's final hours. Nick is innocent, and cannot be retried. He wore a T-shirt and blue-and-white checkered shorts. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Though the crime happened almost five years ago, the whodunit of it all has consumed this quiet area. Could the choke out theory be true. Also the Mom of Brandon's girlfriend also overheard Brandon talking about this unidentified male. The camera recorded Garrett ripsticking home on the day of the murder. The DA says an investigation is ongoing, but its hard to know if police are taking the new information seriously. According to North Country Now, that includes civil actions filed against DA Rain and 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 . She told ABC, I just remember him looking down at me over the tops of his glasses, telling me that there was nothing else that they could do., Cyrus was initially told that Garrett fell. When 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered in 2011, suspicion turned to soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary. Since moving to New York, I've associated Kips Bay with decent curry and a cheap pint. Police said they tested every person with access to the apartment, including residents and maintenance staff. Criminal justice experts say its not uncommon for an investigation this complicated to have leads that dont really go anywhere but that doesnt mean police should just forget about them. They immediately called an ambulance. Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. He said: Its important to note I think that the cops may have been somewhat intellectually challenged, but the district attorney that prosecuted this case has been a district attorney for three decades, thats thirty years in New York. I did everything I could. His mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty of the murder just over two years ago in a. Inside the home that day, "Everything was very clean," Murray said. Clearly, the film won't be . 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. By the time Liz Garbus 's two-part documentary " Who Killed Garrett Phillips ?" debuts on HBO, there could be a new public lead in the case of the murdered titular 12-year-old. In 2011, 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was killed in his upstate New York home. "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. "Nothing in the living room area was out of place," Murray said. Phillips refused to make an example out of anyone. He was just all about control.". "You could see that Garrett had neatly set his sneakers by the closet. And Nick doesnt have any of that right now. "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.". He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves). What was his relationship like with Garrett? Nick was the head soccer coach at Clarkston University, and had played there himself. 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. 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 judge took it all in and after about a week of both sides summing up their arguments, he came back with a verdict. Cyrus did not want to participate. I mean this is something that like is stated in the documentary, he explained: For 20 years I spent building my entire legacy up until that point and within 20 minutes they destroyed., Hillary added: Up to a point now Im trying to clear the rubble in the process of hoping to rebuild.. What makes this weirder is that Brandon and his dad both say they saw a white male with dirty blonde hair go in out of 100 Market Street around 3 - 330. Powered by. The coachs daughter Shanna-Kay Hillary testified for her father and said he was in their house at the time of Garretts murder. IE 11 is not supported. I have so many questions about the ex-boyfriend, John Jones. Garbus questioned them about their missteps and lack of physical or DNA evidence tying Hillary to the crime. 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Nick did say he was at the high school that day, watching a soccer game. If Carranza, the dude changing a tire at 100 Market, saw a black man in the window, could it have been Amos? "It was a true tragedy," he said. "It became very clear that the only place to get in or out, other than the front door that hadn't been utilized, was this window," he said. The window is how it is believed that the killer escaped. "It still is. We need to start a true dialogue about how can we bring forth changes, he explained. One DA declined to pursue an indictment and was eventually voted out of office. In regards to the interesting and sad story about Garrett Phillips the 12- year old CHILD murdered victim. They tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital around 7pm. On October 26, two days after the murder, Nick was brought into the station. When he entered, he found an adolescent boy, just around the corner, lying on his back in the master bedroom, with his head facing the door. aired on HBO on Jul. The duo were joined by lawyer Mani Tafari, who also shared his view on the case. Despite having only circumstantial evidence, the D.A. No prints or hairs from the scene matched the police's suspect, Hillary. There was a blue car that the police zeroed in on. 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. Garrett Phillips was twelve years old when he was murdered It doesn't appear that Jones's daily life has been drastically changed following the case: without negative reports, one can imagine that he still resides in Potsdam, New York. The boy in the security video was 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. 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). He died at the hospital that night. They're calling for the state Attorney General. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves). Director Liz Garbus is pictured in an undated photo. 24. He was interviewed in the episode, but he mainly talked shit about Nick. 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. "Theyre able to benefit from the mistakes that they learned. The murder trial began in the county seat, Canton, New York this month. The big question now is how law enforcements following up. Because we werent gonna get justice for him.". He was a popular, athletic kid. Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. After the schoolboys body was found suffocated and strangled, all fingers pointed to Nick as the murderer. Oct. 24 marked the ninth anniversary of the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. Her name is Tandy Cyrus. He argued that Garrett was the victim of overzealous prosecutors and poor defense attorneys. Tips come in. 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. 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. Oral Nick Hillary exhales as he leaves the St. Lawrence County Courthouse in Canton Wednesday after being found not guilty of murdering Garrett Phillips. I needed someone trained to put their emotions to the side., Oral "Nick" Hillary, center, hugs defense attorney Edward Narrow after being found not guilty in the murder of Garrett Phillips on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, in Canton, N.Y. (Jason Hunter/AP). The Phillipps family was victims of prosecutorial misconduct, as well as Nick, says Garbus. Fourteen at the time of the murder, she was one of his two alibi witnesses. They struck up an easy conversation that, in short order, became a live-in relationship with a blended family. Garretts mother, Tandy Cyrus, has said that her son was a gregarious boy who had absolutely no fear. Related: Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. He was asked many questions about where he was the day of the murder. Forty minutes later, he was found strangled to death in his mother's bedroom. This led to Hillarys arrest, which satisfied Brian Phillips, who still passionately professes his belief that Hillary is guilty in Garbus doc. Nick and Tandy met while Tandy was working part time as a bartender. Jones essentially told the players . Would love your thoughts, please comment. His backpack was taken off. Let me know what you think in the comments. Nick Hillary is the ex-boyfriend of Tandy Cyrus. He has maintained his innocence since day one telling Elizabeth Vargas, I have absolutely nothing to do with what has happened to Garrett. "Im here because justice is due for Garrett and justice is due for Nick Hillary, too," Baxtron said on Friday. Rain, who was elected on her promise to crack Garretts case, saw her law license suspended for two years for misconduct, which included hiding potentially exculpatory evidence from the coachs defense team. It suggests that a kid named Brandon who lived next door gave two different statements about his whereabouts. On Wednesday morning, Hillary was found not guilty by a judge, after a two-week long trial. And they havent been in touch with Garrett Phillips family. Tonight, ABC News and Dateline will both investigate the 2011 murder of Garrett Phillips. From Emmy (R) winner Liz Garbus comes this riveting documentary that examines the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of Clarkson University soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary. We were fascinated by the legal intricacies, the nuances of the case, and picturesque Potsdam, a river town so far upstate New York the closest big city is in Canada. David SommersteinGroups call for independent probe of Garret Phillips murder. The lawsuit alleged that Hillary's civil rights had been violated during his trial. At 9pm, Dateline will air The Accused, which will focus on law enforcement and community response to the horrific crime, according to Syracuse.com. The car is seen driving to the back of the lot into a parking space. Photo: Julie Grant, St. Lawrence County DA Mary Rain at a press conference after the trial in 2016. A few other people who were interviewed in this episode also said they didnt see a limp and it could have been the recording and camera. After Nick Hillary was found not guilty almost four years ago in a trial that captivated the North Country and gained national headlines, local police and prosecutors declared the case closed, insisting on Hillary's guilt. Garrett was described as always being a happy kid, who always had a smile on his face. Fast forward to October 24, 2011. At least one of them had talked to police back in 2011, and their story did not add up. The documentary examines and chronicles the years following the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of Clarkson University soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary. Theyre calling for the state Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the 12 year-old boys death. Hammond, Norfolk teens jailed on charges of sex abuse, endangering the welfare of child . A security camera recorded Garrett skating home from an afternoon of basketball with his school pals just before 5 p.m. No, the police did. July 24, 2019. But where was the evidence to put before a jury? The HBO documentary is likely the best place to get an update on Jones. Ignorance and arrogance walk hand in hand through "Who Killed Garrett Phillips ?"documentarian Liz Garbus 's incendiary true-crime drama about the death of . 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. The prosecution, he ruled, had not made its circumstantial case "beyond a reasonable doubt." So we had intelligent people, people with a lot of power working to deny him of his freedom, knowing that hes innocent., Teacher who misgendered trans pupil 'was acting like a preacher', Teacher sacked for restraining 'out of control pupil' wins unfair dismissal claim, Emergency assemblies and extra staff: how schools are tackling Andrew Tate, He added: District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, he knew there was no evidence, and he said quote after Nick was acquitted: I have locked people up with much less evidence than this.. 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. 1.) premieres on HBO on Tuesday, July 23 at 8/7c. While Garrett was alive, his uncle said,the boy was deeply loved. Who Killed Garrett Phillips? A state investigator whos close with the murdered boys family. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Prosecutors have also said they will not reopen the investigation. "The head person, the most dominant person everybody is gonna follow their lead," said James Trainum, a nationally-recognized police consultant. ABCwrites, Almost immediately, police focused on her ex-boyfriend Hillary as the prime suspect, but it would take them several years before they arrested him for the murder., Cyrus and Hillary broke up a few monthsbefore Garrett was killed, and Cyrus believes that Hillary blamed Garrett for the breakup. ABC News writes, While Cyrus said she never saw Hillary hit a child, lose his temper with a child or threaten a child during their nearly one year together, she told 20/20 that she has no doubt that Hillary killed her son., Nick Hillary's Daughter: Race 'Definitely' a Factor in Murder Case https://t.co/mu2gutc1Qo pic.twitter.com/GcybAmJpxJ, Marko Zelic (@SnoperMZ) September 30, 2016. That trial could begin later this fall. There is only one door to the apartment. Nick was finally released, but they kept his clothes and took the cigarette butts from his pocket and drain. 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 . Text. 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. with hopes to shed more light on the devastating case. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A deputy sheriff as a suspect who also helps the investigation. The first afternoon, of many, spent rebuilding his life. POTSDAM Nearly nine years after Garrett J. Phillips was strangled to death in his Potsdam home, the case remains open and no one has been convicted in connection to the 12-year-old's murder. 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 couldnt break down the door, so they got the manager to unlock the door, which was locked from the inside. In most cases, there's a hierarchy. And while the killer of the 12-year-old boy could still be on the loose,. with hopes to shed more light on the devastating case. I dont want to ever talk bad about the police, because some of them actually do their jobs the way they are supposed to, however this police department didnt. The original DA did not feel that she could mount a case, and Mary Rain mounting the case put them through an enormous amount of hope, and then disappointment.. 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. He added: "It was definitely frustrating. Garretts family, especially his mom and uncle, Brian Phillips, believe Nick 100% killed Garrett. After Hillary was cleared, Rain claimed the case was closed because she still believed he was guilty, which is crazy, according to Garbus.
