The Murder of Garrett Phillips
I’ve probably seen every show on this case, but for my research I watched Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall. It’s season 6 episode 2 titled ‘Home Alone.’
This case is currently still unsolved after a not guilty verdict. This case is about a murdered 12 year old and the police’s tunnel vision against one suspect.
Background
Garrett Phillips
Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York.
Garrett was described as always being a happy kid, who always had a smile on his face. He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves).
On the last day of his life, he went home after school and was home alone where he should have been safe, but apparently wasn’t.
The Murder
On October 24, 2011, the neighbors of Garrett’s heard noises coming from next door. They knew that Garrett and his brother lived there and had heard noises before, but never this loud. They also heard someone saying “no” and crying out for help. The neighbors knocked on the door, and heard what sounded like the door being locked and latched. They called 911 around 5:08pm.
Around 5:16pm, the police arrived. They also knocked on the door and said they heard footsteps coming from inside the apartment. They couldn’t break down the door, so they got the manager to unlock the door, which was locked from the inside.
The police found Garrett laying motionless. They tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital around 7pm.
Investigation
The police wanted to locate Garrett’s family and tell them what had happened. Tandy Cyrus, Garrett’s mom, was at her other son’s basketball practice.
Back at the crime scene, the police realized there was no forced entry, but there was an open window, with the screen cut out. 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. They realized that the killer could have had an injury since the jump was pretty far.
The police photographed the window, took fingerprints and took the blinds as evidence.
Meanwhile Garrett’s autopsy was done. Garrett had been strangled and suffocated. He also had deep rug burns, scratches on his face, a black eye and cauliflower ear. The medical examiner also collected DNA from under Garrett’s nails.
Oral ‘Nick’ Hillary
Nick Hillary
The police soon zeroed in on Nick Hillary, the ex-boyfriend of Tandy. Nick was the head soccer coach at Clarkston University, and had played there himself.
Nick and Tandy met while Tandy was working part time as a bartender. She had also been in a relationship with a police officer named John Jones at the time.
Tandy and Nick had moved in together for a brief time, but according to family of Garrett’s, Nick and Garrett didn’t get along. Garrett didn’t ever want to be alone with Nick, even though Nick said he never had any problems with Garrett. Tandy said she broke up with Nick because Garrett didn’t like him.
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. She said they were still intimate that night, but she demanded her key back. Nick also denied this ever happened.
Nick told the police that he was with his assistant coach, a man named Ian at the time of the murder.
The Police’s Tunnel Vision
I don’t 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 didn’t. They were biased right away.
The police went to Nick’s soccer game the day after the murder, and recorded him on the sideline. They said that he had a limp in his right leg, however, the video is grainy and I didn’t see any limp. A few other people who were interviewed in this episode also said they didn’t see a limp and it could have been the recording and camera.
On October 26, two days after the murder, Nick was brought into the station. He was read his rights. Nick tried to leave for work, and the police blocked the door. Nick soon asked for a lawyer, food and cigarettes.
After Nick was done smoking, he kept the butts in his pocket and even put one in the drain. I thought this was interesting, but I don’t see it as anything other than he didn’t want them to have his DNA. However, if you’re innocent, why would it matter?
Nick was interviewed for 9 hours that day. The police also made Nick strip down in the nude, so they could take photographs. They were very much in his personal space as he was standing there naked with several cops around.
The police also noticed Nick’s ankle was swollen and he had an abrasion on his ankle. He said he had gotten it a week ago from moving furniture. Again, I saw an abrasion, but it ankle didn’t look swollen to me.
Nick was finally released, but they kept his clothes and took the cigarette butts from his pocket and drain. Nick had to leave the station that day in a hazmat suit.
The Surveillance Footage
The next part of the investigation was from a surveillance camera. The camera recorded Garrett ripsticking home on the day of the murder. He entered the parking lot of the high school, heading towards his house.
There was a blue car that the police zeroed in on. The car is seen driving to the back of the lot into a parking space. After Garrett is seen turning towards his house, the car is seen “following” him.
Nick did drive a blue car, however the footage is so blurry that you can’t tell who is driving or see the license plate. Nick did say he was at the high school that day, watching a soccer game. Nick said he went home after.
The police asked him why he turned the opposite way. However, Postdam is apparently really small, so if you go a different way it doesn’t take long to be back where you started. This video proves nothing.
What Happened to Garrett?
In April 2012, Nick filed a suit against the police department for how he was treated.
Nick was deposed for the suit. He was asked many questions about where he was the day of the murder. 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 coach’s house.
However, at 6:24pm, Nick’s 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. Again, this doesn’t really prove anything.
It would take 18 more months for any more information about what happened to Garrett would come to light.
Garrett
Arrest and Trial
On May 14, 2014, Nick was arrested and charged with second degree murder.
Nick’s defense team said right away that the police had tunnel vision and said it was a race issue.
A new foreign DNA company called Starmix said that Nick’s DNA matched the crime scene, however, during the investigation, the police said the DNA mixture was too small. The DNA was ruled immiscible, and the case was based on circumstantial evidence.
After 22 witnesses testified and after a two week trial, Nick was found not guilty.
Other
Garrett’s family, especially his mom and uncle, Brian Phillips, believe Nick 100% killed Garrett.
Apparently, the town of Potsdam is split about if Nick is guilty or innocent.
Nick is innocent, and cannot be retried. No one else has ever been named a suspect.
Tandy Cyrus, Garrett’s mom
A video of Tandy talking about Nick.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have so many questions about the ex-boyfriend, John Jones. First, why the actual eff was he allowed to be in the interrogation room with Tandy? Where was he on the day of the murder? What was his relationship like with Garrett? It doesn’t say what his relationship was like. He was interviewed in the episode, but he mainly talked shit about Nick.
I personally don’t think Nick killed Garrett, but there’s just no proof of him doing it. There are no clues as to who killed Garrett. It’s so heartbreaking, and I feel bad for his family. They deserve justice and so does Garrett, but I think it’s also a good thing that an innocent man isn’t sitting in prison.
What do you think about this case? Is Nick guilty or innocent? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Sources
https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/who-killed-garret-phillips-theories
https://philosophyofcrime.com/the-murder-of-garrett-phillips/
