But now, St. Lawrence Countys new prosecutor, Gary Pasqua, says he's learned of another lead that points away from Hillary. 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. Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York. Today, Garrett's mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty in the boy's murder. No, the police did. But then when we looked at it closer. "Even the appearance of impropriety is as devastating in its consequences to the judicial system as the actual impropriety itself," said Downs. aired on HBO on Jul. Phillips refused to make an example out of anyone. But his involvement with Hillary's case isn't over, even though Hillary was acquitted in 2016, according to The New York Times. 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. Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. IE 11 is not supported. There was word that several other boys were with Garrett when he died. aired on HBO on Jul. Tonight, ABC News' and Dateline will both. On May 14, 2014, Nick was arrested and charged with second degree murder. "You would think, like, wouldn't someone hear somebody yelling, or see something or do anything? According to Grantland, Officer Mark Wentworth investigated the apartment at 100 Market Street. said he had gone through the case files himself. Related stories:A phone call from inside the investigationPasqua wouldnt provide any details beyond that, but it appears state troopers passed the new information to Potsdam Village Police, which is still the lead agency in control of the case. Hillary got back with Lee after the death of Phillips, the New York Times reported in 2011. Read Next: WGAs David Young Bows Out of Negotiations Due to Medical Leave, Bridget Everetts Comedy Can Be Blue on Stage But Somebody Somewhere Leans Into the Tender Moments, Inside the Naomi-Verse With Ava DuVernay and Kaci Walfall, Woody Harrelson Slams COVID Set Protocols as 'Nonsense,' Urges Hollywood to 'Stop' Forcing 'Vaccination': Thats 'Not a Free Country', Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Writer Surprised by Terrible Reviews: I Was in a Low Spot and Really Sad About It, Super Mario Bros. Movie Is Releasing Two Days Early, 'Perfect Match' Star Joey Sasso on Running Around Panama to Find an Engagement Ring, How Much It Cost and What Viewers Didnt See, Michael B. Jordan Meets Reporter at 'Creed III' Premiere Who 'Teased Him all the Time' in High School: 'I Was the Corny Kid, Right? The Accused: With Lester Holt. North County Public Radio - NPR for the Adirondack North Country, Jennifer Baxtron (front center) of Black Lives Matter in Potsdam and William Bastuk (front right) of It Could Happen To You called on the state Attorney General's office to launch a special investigation into the unsolved Garret Phillips murder from 2011. A 'Justice for Garrett' sign is pictured in an undated photo. Part 2 premieres on HBO on . 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. The police asked him why he turned the opposite way. The lawsuit alleged that Hillary's civil rights had been violated during his trial. 23, with Part 2 following the next night on Jul. Phillips's final hours. Director: Liz Garbus. Gary Pasqua in his office near the St. Lawrence County courthouse. After it ended in an acquittal, Phillips said he had to draw back. Murray said the window screen was forced out, with just enough space to fit a body through. One DA declined to pursue an indictment and was eventually voted out of office. Part 1 of Who Killed Garrett Phillips? The only real signs of struggle was his sweatshirt laying in the hallway and his physical body.". They struck up an easy conversation that, in short order, became a live-in relationship with a blended family. The police had a theory about the motivation, a story about obsessive love gone wrong. Its so heartbreaking, and I feel bad for his family. While Garrett was alive, his uncle said,the boy was deeply loved. I thought this was interesting, but I dont see it as anything other than he didnt want them to have his DNA. 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. 1.) 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. He was read his rights. You would send a wave of evidence, you know, expecting a probative piece of DNA, or fingerprint or a hair or fiber then just not getting that. 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). Phillips died soon after at a hospital. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Release Date (Streaming): The boy in the security video was 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. (Courtesy of HBO ). He denied any butt-head moment with Garrett, or spats over homework or chores. In one room, a screen in a window seemed warped, Murray said. ", North County Public Radio - NPR for the Adirondack North Country, For years, there were no formal charges in Garrett Phillips' murder. When 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered in 2011, suspicion turned to soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary. Garrett was found unconscious in his home and died that night due to injuries inflicted by a yet unknown perpetrator. Ive probably seen every show on this case, but for my research I watched Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall. On October 26, two days after the murder, Nick was brought into the station. 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. They were biased right away. On Tuesday, the eve of the verdict, Interim Potsdam Police Chief Mark Murray took ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas through the crime scene: a 3-bedroom apartment where Garrett lived and where he was found on the floor that fateful October day. She had also been in a relationship with a police officer named John Jones at the time. A security camera recorded Garrett skating home from an afternoon of basketball with his school pals just before 5 p.m. It was a long wait leading up to the trial in 2016. A 'Justice for Garrett' sign is pictured in an undated photo. It's going on four years since . Garrett Phillips was strangled in his familys second-floor apartment in upstate Potsdam in October 2011. Shanna testified that Hillary was home with her at the . 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. "To date we do not know who murdered that 12 year-old boy," said WilliamBastuk, executive director of It Could Happen To You, a Rochester-based not-for-profit that fights to overturn wrongful convictions. The apartment is on the second floor of the roughly 100-year-old building, Murray said. 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.. The police photographed the window, took fingerprints and took the blinds as evidence. Oral Nick Hillary stands outside the St. Lawrence County Courthouse Wednesday in Canton during a press conference after he was found not guilty of murdering Garrett Phillips. Per The Daily Beast, Jones was involved in the immediate aftermath of Phillips' death; he went with Phillips' mother to police interviews and called dispatchers to get information on what was going on. Interim Police Chief in Potsdam, New York, Mark Murray, stands in the house where Phillips' body was found on Sept. 27, 2016. 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. Who Killed Garrett Phillips? They are the only reason that Nick is not in prison, she says. 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. Why would I even want to hurt a child, after having worked with kids for over two decades? Weve been covering the case for over a year. Tandy's 12-year-old, Garrett, bristled at his mom's new boyfriend, said Tandy. It suggests that a kid named Brandon who lived next door gave two different statements about his whereabouts. First, why the actual eff was he allowed to be in the interrogation room with Tandy? The medical examiner also collected DNA from under Garretts nails. This button displays the currently selected search type. He argues he was treated differently than another suspect in the case, a deputy sheriff named John Jones. 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. Director Liz Garbus is pictured in an undated photo. Pictured is the 100 Market St. apartment building in Potsdam, New York. (Courtesy of HBO ). A silent picture of a kid on a skateboard moves into the frame from lower right, sails past for about 16-seconds and exits frame left. All of other window screens in the home were intact, Murray said. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. 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. And that's an important part of the lawsuit Hillary has since filed against many individuals involved in his case. 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. "Nothing in the living room area was out of place," Murray said. Photo: David Sommerstein, D.A. He found Nick Hillary not guilty. That process has a name sentinel event review. 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. But I hope Im wrong about that, Garbus tells Variety. Movie Info. The accused was Nick Hillary, 37 years old at the time of the boy's death. Related stories:A phone call from inside the investigationSteve Downs, former chief attorney for New Yorks Commission on Judicial Conduct, said Friday that state rulings require avoiding those potential conflicts. Photo: Julie Grant, St. Lawrence County DA Mary Rain at a press conference after the trial in 2016. We need to start a true dialogue about how can we bring forth changes, he explained. 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. Jones essentially told the players . is available to stream on Sky Crime. Could the choke out theory be true. They couldnt break down the door, so they got the manager to unlock the door, which was locked from the inside. The group wrote a letter to DA Pasqua seeking an independent prosecutor two weeks ago. He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves). North Country Public Radio has learned that a local source reached out to state troopers last fall with a possible tip. But their approaches to parenting seemed very different. Vogel called the police to tell them what shed heard, and police arrived at the apartment less than ten minutes later. This led to Hillarys arrest, which satisfied Brian Phillips, who still passionately professes his belief that Hillary is guilty in Garbus doc. But you cant take race out of the picture the way in which white Americans are just more likely to look at Black people as capable of committing crimes. Original Language: English. 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. His killer is still out there. The police found Garrett laying motionless. Knowing where John Jones is now shows how differently he was treated by police after Phillips' murder. 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. 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. An officer arrived on the scene and found 12-year-old Garrett . Potsdam, NY, interim police chief takes ABC News through the crime scene. In an unusual case, there was another twist. If Carranza, the dude changing a tire at 100 Market, saw a black man in the window, could it have been Amos? On October 24, 2011, the neighbors of Garretts heard noises coming from next door. From the polices point of view, they thought they had the best suspect the most they could put together on someone, says Garbus. But at around 5 p.m., when the murder is estimated to have occurred, no one saw anyone jump or flee from the building. He was a popular, athletic kid. Police suspect the killer escaped through this window. "When someone is wrongfully convicted or wrongfully prosecuted, the true perpetrator remains on the streets to commit another crime," Bastuk said, referring to the Phillips case, which remains unsolved. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The people who lived downstairs didn't report hearing or seeing anything, Murray said. I believe John Jones committed the murder. "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. The DA says an investigation is ongoing, but its hard to know if police are taking the new information seriously. She was raising two boys, he had three kids from a past relationship. The HBO documentary is likely the best place to get an update on Jones. At 9pm, Dateline will air The Accused, which will focus on law enforcement and community response to the horrific crime, according to Syracuse.com. Hillary claims Potsdam and St. Lawrence County law enforcement violated his civil rights, in part because hes Black. Garrett lived at the apartment at 100 Market St. with his mother, Tandy Cyrus, and younger brother, Aaron. His mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty of the murder just over two years ago in a. Nick was interviewed for 9 hours that day. 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. Back at the apartment, the investigation was just beginning. Ignorance and arrogance walk hand in hand through "Who Killed Garrett Phillips ?"documentarian Liz Garbus 's incendiary true-crime drama about the death of . Because we werent gonna get justice for him.". Nick Hillary's defense had elected to waive a jury trial and argue directly to the judge. And the fact that his life has apparently remained much the same, while Hillary's was thrown into disarray, proves that. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. By the time Liz Garbuss 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. https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/who-killed-garret-phillips-theories, https://heavy.com/news/2016/09/garrett-phillips-abc-news-2020-trial-potsdam-obituary-nick-hillary-websleuths/, https://philosophyofcrime.com/the-murder-of-garrett-phillips/, https://www.nny360.com/news/crime/garrett-phillips-revisited-recent-leads-in-murder-case-fall-flat/article_615185e3-73a4-511c-a287-43c85b845d14.html. The lead does not involve Nick Hillary, the person who was found not guilty of Garrett Phillips' murder. Nick Hillary is the ex-boyfriend of Tandy Cyrus. "Mr. Jones went on to say that if I was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend he would have 'kicked in my door,'" Hillary said. 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