The Murder of Phyllis Malone
For this case, I watched an episode of Southern Gothic. It’s season 1 episode 2, titled ‘Memphis Blues.’
A loving mother of 5 is found dead in her car.
Background
Phyllis Renee Malone was born in Memphis on December 19, 1976. She grew up in an area of Memphis called Soulsville. Phyllis grew up in a large and very tight-knit family. Sadly, Phyllis lost her mother when she was just 5 years old.
Phyllis went on to have 5 children of her own. She loved to play music and cook for them. Phyllis was only 31 years old at the time of her death.
Phyllis Malone
The Discovery
On September 9, 2008, a delivery driver arrived at a local Shell gas station for his deliveries. A car with a woman inside was blocking his entrance. The woman was not reacting or moving. He called 911 when he saw that there was blood inside the car.
The victim was identified as Phyllis Malone. Her purse and ID were found in the backseat. Phyllis had been shot several times in the stomach and head. The contents of Phyllis’ purse were still inside but her cell phone was missing.
Phyllis’ shoes were found on the floor of the car and the passenger side window had been rolled down.
There was no damage to Phyllis’ car and no weapons were found inside. The police didn’t find any spent shell casings and believed that Phyllis was shot with a revolver. Due to the lack of evidence, the police determined that the shooter had shot Phyllis through the open window.
The Timeline
The police spoke with a manager at a nearby restaurant called Backyard Burger. The manager said they closed around 11 pm and didn’t open until 6 am the following morning.
Sadly, the surveillance cameras at the gas station hadn’t been working during the time of the murder.
Phyllis’ body was transported to the medical examiner's office and her car was towed. The news of an unidentified murder victim spread through Memphis.
Phyllis’ family was notified about her death. They were told that Phyllis had been found in her car. They were asked if Phyllis had been dating anyone or if they knew of anyone who’d want to hurt her.
Her sister mentioned that Phyllis had been fighting with her ex and the father of one of her children. There had been a domestic dispute a few months earlier.
Phyllis’ daughter, Alexus also told the police that her mom had been getting dressed up and had gotten her hair done the previous night to go see a new guy. She didn’t know this man’s name, only that her mom was extremely happy.
The Dispute
The police went to speak with Phyllis’ ex-boyfriend. He was notified about her death and seemed devastated by it. He was quickly eliminated as he had been at work.
While the police were searching Phyllis’ car, they found a letter confirmed to have been written by her. The letter wasn’t dated or signed but it did mention the name ‘Chancy.’
Phyllis also wrote that she was pregnant and questioned if this person was going to stay in her and the baby’s lives.
When the police spoke to Phyllis’ family again, they said they had never heard of anyone named Chancy. Phyllis’ sister, Ophelia did some digging and discovered that Chancy’s last name was Jones. She also revealed that Chancy was an officer with the Memphis Police Department.
Chancy had been the officer who responded to the domestic dispute between Phyllis and her ex. Phyllis confided in her friend that they exchanged phone numbers and began dating.
The New Boyfriend
The detectives ran Chancy’s background through their database. Chancy had been married and had a small child at the time.
On September 9, 2008, Chancy Jones reported for his shift at 2 pm, about 8 hours after Phyllis was killed.
Chancy was interviewed for several hours. He admitted to knowing Phyllis because he had responded to the domestic dispute at her house. He confirmed that he gave her his phone number and they began a relationship.
Chancy said he had seen Phyllis the previous night. She contacted him while he was working and said he would meet her later. They met at the Shell gas station. Chancy said he couldn’t remember what they talked about.
The detectives confronted Chancy and said they found a letter in Phyllis’ purse with his name on it. He eventually said that Phyllis did tell him that she was pregnant and he told her that he needed time to think about it.
Chancy said that Phyllis told him that she would tell his wife. Chancy said Phyllis was fine when he left.
The Arrest
About 3 hours into the interview, Chancy changed his story and said that he killed Phyllis in self-defense.
He said that she revved her engine and he thought she was going to hit him with her car. He said he shot her 2-3 times because he was defending himself. He also admitted to taking her cell phone and throwing the murder weapon into the Mississippi River.
Chancy Jones was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. On September 15, he was released on bail.
Phyllis’ family and the community were angry and believed that he had received special treatment because he had been a police officer.
The Trial and Conviction
Phyllis’ autopsy revealed that she was not pregnant.
In June 2010, Chancy went on trial for first-degree murder.
At trial, the prosecution argued that Chancy had once worked at the Shell gas station and knew what time it and the surrounding businesses closed. He met Phyllis after work on September 8, 2008. Phyllis had gotten all dressed up and was excited to see him.
It’s believed that Phyllis told Chancy that she was pregnant and they had a heated discussion.
Chancy’s defense argued that Phyllis had tried to run over him and he killed her in self-defense. They also said that Phyllis had been blackmailing him.
The evidence and Phyllis’ injuries proved that it was not self-defense. A blood spatter expert testified that Chancy would have been standing outside the rolled-down window when he shot Phyllis. Chancy also shot her about 3 times and tried to destroy the evidence.
After a week-long trial, Chancy was found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Chancy Jones
Other
In 2015, Chancy filed an appeal arguing that he received ineffective counsel. His conviction was upheld.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think that Phyllis thought she was pregnant and believed that Chancy wanted to be with her. Chancy didn’t care about anyone but himself. He saw red the minute Phyllis told him she was pregnant. Maybe Phyllis did say that she would tell his wife but she didn’t deserve to be shot in her car and left to die. Phyllis’ family has every right to be upset about the sentence. If Chancy hadn’t been a police officer, then maybe he would have gotten life in prison.
Sources
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110001667/phyllis-renee-malone
https://www.actionnews5.com/story/8985209/mpd-officer-charged-in-womans-murder/
https://www.actionnews5.com/story/13174973/ex-officer-gets-24-years-in-girlfriend-shooting/
