Director of the documentary Liz Garbus, added: And what you dont know if you havent seen the documentary yet is Nick was an all American soccer champion and a graduate from Saint Lawrence University and became a coach at Clarkson, coaching a great soccer team and a military veteran. https://www.nny360.com/news/new-leads-surface-in-phillips-murder/article_129462bd-bed2-53ab-b550-39d06dfacc74.html. Potsdam's chief of police is now Mark Murray, who was lead detective on the Garrett Phillips investigation. He said he had gotten it a week ago from moving furniture. 1.) Easily explained." As least, thats what many may hope after the new St. Lawrence County district attorney admitted a new tip earlier this spring. Following this, Hillary was then indicted for murder in the second degree, spending 70 days in prison before he was released on bail. 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. Aug 17, 2020 Advocates for the wrongfully accused are trying to draw new attention to the murder of Garrett Phillips in Potsdam nine years ago. But despite being a free man, it seems Hillary is still struggling to clear his name in his community. On Oct. 24, 2011, a dispatcher in Potsdam, N.Y., got a 911 call from a person reporting suspicious sounds in a neighboring apartment. At 9pm, Dateline will air The Accused, which will focus on law enforcement and community response to the horrific crime, according to Syracuse.com. And yet, in that security video of Garrett on his skateboard, wasn't that Nick driving his Honda CRV though the high school parking lot just after Garrett skated by? The inside of the house where Garrett Phillips' body was found, is pictured on Sept. 27, 2016. When Hillary was acquitted this week, the judge said that his case was mostly circumstantial and didnt prove he was guilty without a doubt. 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. 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 . 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.. He was, they said, the only person in town with a grudge against Garrett, blaming him, the family argued, for the break-up of his relationship with Tandy. Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York. 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 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. Text. 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. 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. 3. There was a blue car that the police zeroed in on. About his hitch in the U.S. Army. "In my mind, that investigation is still out there.". He also said he'd talked with police and met with Garrett Phillips mother but he didn't want to discuss his findings. The duo were joined by lawyer Mani Tafari, who also shared his view on the case. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Theyre calling for the state Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the 12 year-old boys death. (Courtesy of HBO ). Prosecutors also referenced two interviews Shanna-Kay gave in 2014 and 2015 in both interviews, she said she ate dinner at 6pm. They also heard someone saying no and crying out for help. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Tonight, ABC News and Dateline will both investigate the 2011 murder of Garrett Phillips. He denied any butt-head moment with Garrett, or spats over homework or chores. 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 . True crime is popular because theres a healthy impulse to want these things to be solved, Garbus says. Her name is Tandy Cyrus. Gary Pasqua in his office near the St. Lawrence County courthouse. We did hear these rumors, and we wanted, as much as we could, to go out and explore them and accompany local journalists, Garbus says, but there really was so little [to go on]. At the time, lead prosecutors declared the case was closed. In their ruling, a state disciplinary panel wrote that Rain's handling of the Garrett Phillips case was one of several ethical issues that contributedto her punishment. "Oral Hillary will face that for the rest of his life unless the true perpetrator is found and held accountable," Bastuk said. On Wednesday morning, Hillary was found not guilty by a judge, after a two-week long trial. Phillips also knows that the former DA, Mary Rain, had her law license suspended last summer. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The mystery of what happened to Garrett Phillips continues. It just blows my mind.. Police went up the apartment building stairs and into the home, where they found Garrett unconscious and alone inside. The prosecutor would thunder that the camera had in fact recorded Nick out "hunting" for the boy just minutes before his death. Phillips was convinced police had the right suspect, but he felt it was time to move on and it became clear that law enforcement wanted to move on, too. "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.". Related: Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. Whatever has come to light or will come in the years ahead Phillips said hes tried to focus on the good. The current district attorney, Gary Pasqua, has given Potsdam Police, now headed by Murray, new information pointing to a different suspect. "There will be no further investigation," Rain saidat a press conference, "because Im 100 percent certain, as are police, they got the right man.". New information has come to light and is being investigated in the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett J. Phillips. 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.. Apparently, the town of Potsdam is split about if Nick is guilty or innocent. But at around 5 p.m., when the murder is estimated to have occurred, no one saw anyone jump or flee from the building. The window is how it is believed that the killer escaped. 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. 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.". Bastuk admits theyre just familiarizing the AGs office with the details of the case. No one else has ever been named a suspect. Garrett was taken to the local hospital where he was declared dead later that night. He argued that Garrett was the victim of overzealous prosecutors and poor defense attorneys. Around 5:16pm, the police arrived. They struck up an easy conversation that, in short order, became a live-in relationship with a blended family. Cookie Notice I was in complete shock, she told ABC News. 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. HBO's new two-part documentary "Who Killed Garrett Phillips?," premiering on July 23 and 24, is a stunningand enragingexamination of race and the U.S. criminal justice system. 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. "Im here because justice is due for Garrett and justice is due for Nick Hillary, too," Baxtron said on Friday. miaomy 3 yr. ago. (Hillary has denied visiting the apartment without Cyrus' permission. 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. Garbus and her crew interviewed him many times, filmed him with his kids and in his home, and included footage of his 2016 trial. The police found Garrett laying motionless. "He was something else. Just like his father, spitting image of my brother, a heck of a little athlete. The first part of the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? "There is obviously no resolution to Garrett Phillips murder," Pasqua said at the time. He would be both judge and jury in what's called a bench trial. We need to start a true dialogue about how can we bring forth changes, he explained. Jennifer Baxtron, organizer of many demonstrations in Potsdam and across St. Lawrence County, has collected 1,650 signatures on a petition calling for an independent investigation. Garrett and his family lived on the second floor, so the police determined that the killer would have had to jump on the landing and then down to the ground. Sky Crime launched the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? Police suspect the killer jumped out it after strangling Garrett. The night that her son died, she had no idea what had happened. 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. This button displays the currently selected search type. This case is currently still unsolved after a not guilty verdict. They realized that the killer could have had an injury since the jump was pretty far. Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. Is Nick guilty or innocent? In an unusual case, there was another twist. Thats why Who Killed Garrett Phillips? devotes so much time to following Hillary himself. The lawn signs of a grinning 12-year-old boy demanding Justice for Garrett remain scattered around the town. Jobs People Learning Dismiss Dismiss. He was 19 at the time of the 2013 arrest, which makes him the same age as the Brandon D. Murphy in question for Garrett's murder. Garrett was found unconscious in his home and died that night due to injuries inflicted by a yet unknown perpetrator. Release Date (Streaming): This case is about a murdered 12 year old and the polices tunnel vision against one suspect. Phillips's final hours. "But the day of the verdict, something just hit me. 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. What 12-year-old kid just isnt right full of life? 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. Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. Director Liz Garbus is pictured in an undated photo. Shanna testified that Hillary was home with her at the . Oral "Nick" Hillary and Tandy Cyrus are pictured in an undated photo. and our I probably will the rest of my life," Phillips said. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally attacked at his home in Potsdam in 2011. The accused was Nick Hillary, 37 years old at the time of the boy's death. It concerns a group of people who were living in the North Country around the time of the murder. Director Liz Garbus is pictured in an undated photo. It was a long wait leading up to the trial in 2016. But the verdict came down as not guilty, and Tandy never ended up going on the record with Garbus. But I hope Im wrong about that, Garbus tells Variety. New pieces complicate Garrett Phillips murder storyPeople in St. Lawrence County know his face: the smiling, golden-haired 12-year-old boy, Garrett Phillips. The Accused: With Lester Holt. Before he spoke with NCPR, Trainum reviewed press clippings and media coverage to familiarize himself with the Garrett Phillips case. Years ago, Nick patronized a bar on Potsdam's main drag where the bartender was a single mother. We reached out to Murray this winter ask how hes handling the investigation, but he declined to comment. But where was the evidence to put before a jury? In 2011, Garrett Phillips, who was just 12-years-old, was killed in his upstate New York home. New York, 2011: Garrett Phillips, 12, is found strangled. Cyrus says that when she showed up at the hospital, her son had bruises all over his face, and Marks on his neck. 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