They also heard someone saying no and crying out for help. As of this week, the source who originally contributed the new lead said that they have not been contacted by Potsdam investigators roughly six months since this person first attempted to share information with law enforcement. Years ago, Nick patronized a bar on Potsdam's main drag where the bartender was a single mother. He spent more than two decades asa homicide detectivein Washington, D.C., where he eventually opened a cold case unit. Nick was finally released, but they kept his clothes and took the cigarette butts from his pocket and drain. 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. That there'd been a rush to judgment. The chief of police is now Mark Murray, who was the lead detective on the case. 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. 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. Clearly, the film won't be . Pasqua and local police have declined to comment. 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. "But the day of the verdict, something just hit me. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. Jones essentially told the players . Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. I dont 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 didnt. Trainum has an extensive background workingon cases himself. Garbus credits the dogged local reporters who wouldnt let up on the case for bringing it to the larger attention, including her own. 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. 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. And then there was the potential witness about whom prosecutors never told the defense a revelation that nearly led to the trials dismissal. But he said Hillarys situation fits in with nationwide protests over racism in policing a Black man associated with a crime even after a not guilty verdict. When it comes to investigating new tips, Trainum said, it matters whos in charge. First, why the actual eff was he allowed to be in the interrogation room with Tandy? premieres on HBO on Tuesday, July 23 at 8/7c. 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. In one room, a screen in a window seemed warped, Murray said. Shanna Hillary is the eldest of Nick Hillary's five children. "We weren't thinking it was a homicide immediately, but something had happened. "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. 0. This case is currently still unsolved after a not guilty verdict. Garrett Phillips' mother, Tandy Cyrus. Dateline's been covering the case of Garrett Phillips for over a year. 24. — -- 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. Nick said he had nothing against the boy or his mother and that his alibi witnesses, his daughter and an assistant coach, would place him elsewhere at the time of the murder. 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. 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 coachs house. "Theyre able to benefit from the mistakes that they learned. I mean this is something that like is stated in the documentary, he explained: For 20 years I spent building my entire legacy up until that point and within 20 minutes they destroyed., Hillary added: Up to a point now Im trying to clear the rubble in the process of hoping to rebuild.. They were very much in his personal space as he was standing there naked with several cops around. And the fact that his life has apparently remained much the same, while Hillary's was thrown into disarray, proves that. Let me know what you think in the comments. Hillary, after years in the bulls-eye of public opinion, also broke down in tears, a free man once more. In the wake of the shocking murder of the boy -- in the very early hours of the investigation -- Tandy and her family believed that Nick Hillary was the likely killer. He also had deep rug burns, scratches on his face, a black eye and cauliflower ear. The night that her son died, she had no idea what had happened. Rain, who was elected on her promise to crack Garretts case, saw her law license suspended for two years for misconduct, which included hiding potentially exculpatory evidence from the coachs defense team. They called 911 around 5:08pm. By the time Liz Garbus's 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. The group wrote a letter to DA Pasqua seeking an independent prosecutor two weeks ago. It suggests that a kid named Brandon who lived next door gave two different statements about his whereabouts. The window is approximately 20 feet above the ground, Murray said. 2. Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York. The victim, Garrett Phillips, was only 12 years old. "Nothing in the living room area was out of place," Murray said. "It's very frustrating," he told "20/20." 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. Years passed with no arrest, and now Nick Hillary, a former college soccer coach and an ex-boyfriend of Phillips's mother, awaits trial on a murder charge. It would take 18 more months for any more information about what happened to Garrett would come to light. Nick Hillary, Tandy Cyrus Collins, lawyer who questioned Hillary in civil suit to be featured on NBC https://t.co/EkWKVOTN1o #lawyer. Since then, St. Lawrence County law enforcement has been unable to piece together the facts surrounding this tragedy and bring . Oral "Nick" Hillary still coaches soccer. "It still is. A 'Justice for Garrett' sign is pictured in an undated photo. Nick is targeted. The new DA made the case her central mission and finally got a grand Jury to indict Nick Hillary. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally attacked at his home in Potsdam in 2011. 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). 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. After all, she notes, the Justice for Garrett campaign became Get Nick Hillary. They were always, always intertwined. People want to be heroes. is available to stream on Sky Crime. The university soccer coach had previously dated the victims mother, Tandy Cyrus, but was reported to have split with the grieving mum as he didnt get on with her children. 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. Photo: David Sommerstein, Oral "Nick" Hillary was found not guilty on Wednesday in the 2011 murder of twelve-year-old Garrett Phillips. But I hope Im wrong about that, Garbus tells Variety. Tonight, ABC News' and Dateline will both. 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. Though the crime happened almost five years ago, the whodunit of it all has consumed this quiet area. We need to start a true dialogue about how can we bring forth changes, he explained. No one else has ever been named a suspect. Theyre 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. July 18, 2019 2:39 pm ET. ", So far, this new lead doesnt seem to count as "something different. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally attacked at his home in Potsdam in 2011. Fourteen at the time of the murder, she was one of his two alibi witnesses. On Oct. 24, 2011, a dispatcher in Potsdam, N.Y., got a 911 call from a person reporting suspicious sounds in a neighboring apartment. The judge dismissed most of the claims, but some are still ongoing. His mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty of the murder just over two years ago in a. Today, Garrett's mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, was found not guilty in the boy's murder. On October 26, two days after the murder, Nick was brought into the station. There was really nothing beyond whats in the film that we were able to learn.. It was two days after 12 year-old Garrett Phillips was found strangled to death in his home in Potsdam. This case is about a murdered 12 year old and the polices tunnel vision against one suspect. A few other people who were interviewed in this episode also said they didnt see a limp and it could have been the recording and camera. Filling the benches behind, were foursquare supporters of Hillary across the aisle from Tandy's extended family. Oral Nick Hillary exhales as he leaves the St. Lawrence County Courthouse in Canton Wednesday after being found not guilty of murdering Garrett Phillips. Tandy and Aaron have since moved out. Police suspect the killer jumped out it after strangling Garrett. The first part of the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? "There is obviously no resolution to Garrett Phillips murder," Pasqua said at the time. The boy in the security video was 12-year-old Garrett Phillips. As least, thats what many may hope after the new St. Lawrence County district attorney admitted a new tip earlier this spring. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He was just all about control.". But no one would see his killer leap out of the back window. Garbus film, which debuts on Tuesday, uses police footage and photos, video evidence and interviews to recount what went wrong in meticulous detail. But their approaches to parenting seemed very different. (Courtesy of HBO ). Two years after the slaying, Garretts mothers ex-boyfriend, Oral Nick Hillary, was arrested, tried for the murder and acquitted. NY Man Speaks out After Not Guilty Verdict in Murder of Ex's Son: He was accused of strangling to death his e https://t.co/y1qpX8JO62, Around 5pm on the night of Monday, October 24, Sean Hall and his fiance, Marisa Vogel, heard a scream, a bang, and then moans, coming from the neighboring apartment. The filmmaker interviewed Mark Murray, who headed the police investigation, Mary Rain, the former St. Lawrence County district attorney, and William Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney who headed the trial team. Vogel called the police to tell them what shed heard, and police arrived at the apartment less than ten minutes later. The big question now is how law enforcements following up. Shanna testified that Hillary was home with her at the . Related: Nick Hillary Found Not Guilty in Murder of 12-Year-Old Garrett Phillips. Garrett Phillips was strangled in his family's second-floor apartment in upstate Potsdam in October 2011. 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. Forty minutes later, he was found strangled to death in his mother's bedroom. "I dont know that its fair to them to keep reliving it unless something new or different happens. Because we werent gonna get justice for him.". Mar 8, 2019. His admiring teammates in their undefeated season called him, "The General. He'd parlayed his experience into a job as the head coach of the men's soccer team at Clarkson. The police asked him why he turned the opposite way. Garrett Phillips was a 12 year old boy who lived with his mom, Tandy and brother, Aaron, in Potsdam, New York. We reached out to Murray this winter ask how hes handling the investigation, but he declined to comment. Tonight, ABC News and Dateline will both investigate the 2011 murder of Garrett Phillips. Garretts mother, Tandy Cyrus, has said that her son was a gregarious boy who had absolutely no fear. 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. When 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered in 2011 . Garrett was described as always being a happy kid, who always had a smile on his face. For years, no one was named in Phillips death. Prosecutors also referenced two interviews Shanna-Kay gave in 2014 and 2015 in both interviews, she said she ate dinner at 6pm. He loved sports, being with his friends and ripsticking (kind of like skateboarding, but your back leg always moves). Tips come in. "It was a true tragedy," he said. "Sees the people down there or hears them changing the tire, and waits until the coast is clear to make the jump.". The documentary examines and chronicles the years following the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of Clarkson University soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary. While there would be the occasional inconsistency in a detail someones story, be it Hillarys or Murrays or Joness which she didnt shy away from including in the final cut everyone was adamant about their beliefs. "He was a kid he was a 12-year-old kid. The inside of the house where Garrett Phillips' body was found, is pictured on Sept. 27, 2016. Bastuk says now is the time to draw national attention to a murder case thats been unsolved for too long. Shanna-Kay, who is now 19-years-old, has testified that on the day of the murder, she was at Potsdam High School. The lawn signs of a grinning 12-year-old boy demanding Justice for Garrett remain scattered around the town. Garrett Cunningham Expand search. I think of Michelle McNamara: Did that book [Ill Be Gone in the Dark] solve that case? ", North County Public Radio - NPR for the Adirondack North Country, For years, there were no formal charges in Garrett Phillips' murder. Potsdam, NY, interim police chief takes ABC News through the crime scene. proceeds with the case. David SommersteinGroups call for independent probe of Garret Phillips murder. He also said he'd talked with police and met with Garrett Phillips mother but he didn't want to discuss his findings. 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). Lauren Rosenthal (Investigative Reporter and Producer), A phone call from inside the investigation, Gumball machine serves up free poetry in the Adirondacks, Not in Old Forge's backyard? The police also noticed Nicks ankle was swollen and he had an abrasion on his ankle. The next part of the investigation was from a surveillance camera. It's simple.. 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. His brilliant field leadership at St. Lawrence, next door to Potsdam, had made him a college All-American. The police went to Nicks soccer game the day after the murder, and recorded him on the sideline. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The first part of the documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? There was very little energy around anything else in this case., Over time, as Garbus kept asking the key players in the case to relive and rehash the nitty, gritty details, she says she doesnt feel that changed. 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? But the verdict came down as not guilty, and Tandy never ended up going on the record with Garbus. I believe John Jones committed the murder. His mother was rushed to the hospital. A roller coaster of emotions. Read more at watertowndailytimes.com. The accused was Nick Hillary, 37 years old at the time of the boy's death. The living room area was out of place, '' Murray said out of the claims, he! That Hillary was home with her at the time of the claims, but they kept his and! After 12 year-old Garrett Phillips Murray this winter ask how hes handling the investigation was from a surveillance camera to... 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