But what would be his motive? The documentary received positive reviews.[5][6][7]. Im not going to talk about the efforts that have been made by the police department or confirm or deny who we may be looking for or if weve found them. 0. Nick Hillary is unaware of the school cameras so he's caught in another lie here. When this didnt work (realizing his reputation would be ruined, he may have committed a crime of passion). Potsdam, NY, interim police chief takes ABC News through the crime scene. With obvious motive and possible involvement, JJ stands out. As a coach, everybody knew who I was, he said in the documentary. New information has come to light and is being investigated in the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett J. Phillips. Also, the behavior in the school parking lot while in his car is truly bizarre. Where is he now? But one of the boys neighbors, who lived in the same apartment building, heard a scream and strange sounds coming from his home just 15 minutes after he passed by the building'scameras. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Hillaryis stillstruggling to rebuild his life, according to a publicist for "Who Killed Garrett Phillips?" ), "I don't know that there is a severe enough punishment," she said. The shocking murder had police soon zeroing in on one suspect: Oral Nick Hillary, one of the only black men in Potsdam and the ex-boyfriend of Phillips' mother. "[Garrett] was always happy and always willing to help other kids and other people. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. All of that said, it's pretty clear that Garrett Phillips was likely killed by someone he knew and trusted, rather than by a third-party stranger. Lets just say things got a bit strange in this case. I do not feel that a stranger did this. Garretts family, especially his mom and uncle, Brian Phillips, believe Nick 100% killed Garrett. I realize that does not make him a murderer, but major creepiness factor nevertheless. I felt like I was watching it happen to someone else.". Nick is innocent, and cannot be retried. .LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH{fill:var(--newRedditTheme-actionIcon);height:18px;width:18px}.LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH rect{stroke:var(--newRedditTheme-metaText)}._3J2-xIxxxP9ISzeLWCOUVc{height:18px}.FyLpt0kIWG1bTDWZ8HIL1{margin-top:4px}._2ntJEAiwKXBGvxrJiqxx_2,._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{vertical-align:middle}._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center} I dont doubt he did it. His mother's ex-boyfriend Oral "Nick" Hillary was tried for the murder, but as a new HBO doc shows, it wasn't that simple of a case. And I just remember him looking down at me over the tops of his glasses, telling me that there was nothing else that they could do," she said. So if he didn't, did Sheriff John Jones kill Garrett Phillips? The officers conducted several investigations to find the truth behind the tragedy. Low 34F. Years passed with no arrest, and now Nick Hillary, a former college soccer coach and an ex-boyfriend of Phillipss mother, awaits trial on a murder charge. Moreover, the statements regarding Brandons whereabouts were in stark contrast to what his then-girlfriend Devon M. Willmart and her mother, Laurel D. Willmart, told investigators on Nov. 7, 2011. Hes taking care of his children, whom he had with Stacia Lee, a woman he was dating before he began dating Cyrus. The murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips in 2011 shook Potsdam, a town of around 15,300 people in northern New York. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He lost his career as a soccer coach and lost his reputation as a respected athlete about town. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? They argued that because Hillary turned left leaving the lot, instead of taking a right, which was the fastest way for him to get home, he must havebeen hunting down the child. 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Also, the way he inserted himself into the entire situation, like coming to Tandys rescue, going to the initial police interview with her. POTSDAM, New York -- Two days before former soccer coach Nick Hillary was found not guilty in the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips in upstate New York, Garrett's mother and Hillary's ex-girlfriend Tandy Cyrus opened up to ABC News' "20/20" in an emotional interview about losing her son and coping during the aftermath. That day, October 24, the boyhadbeen playing basketball at a high school and decided to ride his skateboard home, a tripcaptured by several surveillance cameras. "I said, 'What's going on, what's happening,'" he said of the period of time during which Cyrus was leaving him for Hillary. So initially I believe there was some reporting that children were involved.. The Garrett Phillips Murder Case and Prosecutor Mary Rain In 2011, a small rural town in upstate New York was rocked by the loss of its own: a 12-year-old boy named Garrett Phillips. In 2011, 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was killed in his upstate New York home. For Oral Nick Hillary, one of the only black men in a rural upstate New York town, that claustrophobic idea wasreality. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism "It felt like it was somebody else's life," Tandy Cyrus said. 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