Who Killed Garrett Phillips
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The death of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips has been a mystery for nearly a decade. The young boy was found strangled in his mother’s Potsdam, New York apartment in October of 2011.
When police arrived on the scene, they found no signs of forced entry or obvious struggle. However, they had a suspect in mind right away – Oral “Nick” Hillary, a 27-year-old soccer coach who was dating Garrett’s mother.
Nick was the former coach of Garrett’s older brother, and his presence in Garrett’s life had been a source of conflict among Garrett’s mother and father.
Nick was questioned and subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in 2012. He maintained his innocence, but police had evidence tying him to Garrett’s murder.
They had surveillance footage from the apartment building that showed Nick close to the time Garrett was killed. They had a recording of a 911 call from a neighbor who heard a disturbance coming from Garrett’s apartment just prior to his death. They had Nick’s DNA on Garrett’s clothing, and they had testimony from a neighbor who said they’d seen Nick and Garrett arguing the night before the murder.
Nick went to trial in 2016. However, after a short deliberation, the jury could not reach a verdict and he was acquitted.
Despite Nick’s lack of conviction, there is still debate over who killed Garrett Phillips. Without a confession or new evidence, the case may remain unsolved.