Comments on: Thriller Thursday: Josh Phillips – child killer or victim?

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 03:34:23 +0000

In reply to Rachael prazeres. I will be happy to sign your petition. Thank you.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 03:32:29 +0000

I’m watching the story now on ID.
Being that Josh wasn’t allowed to go out after school (and it wasn’t because of grades, he had ‘chores’ to), wasn’t allowed to bring in known neighbors/friends and that he was afraid of what would happen if he’d disobeyed his father, I knew that Josh had been abused.
I would be very surprised to find that his frontal lobe injuries weren’t caused by his father, possibly his mother also.
If he did kill Maddie (I don’t trust his parents, at all) then his defense should have delved into this obvious cause. PTSD and fear. My heart goes out to both Josh and the Cliftons.

By: Student

Student — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:02:48 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green. Why would mother lie? At the end, she is the one who actually reported it and called the police. And she found a body in her son's bed. She didn't even wait for him nor call him first. Btw, are there any news on this case?

By: Student

Student — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 06:47:28 +0000

Well, peope die and sometimes months pass, even a year or two after somobody notice the smell from the flat. So it is not impossible that nobody notice the smell after one year. I am for a death penalty, if medicine can prove he was in good menthal stage at the time of murder. If not, psychiatry

By: Rachael prazeres

Rachael prazeres — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:17:39 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green.

Hi I have started a petition in hopes of helping joshua.
It would be much appreciated if there were a way for you to help promote the petition through social media. Thank you.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/236/653/253/help-joshua-phillips-get-a-second-chance-at-life/#bbtw=636983784

By: Rachael prazeres

Rachael prazeres — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:08:43 +0000

Please copy and paste to your search engine and sign my petition to help josh in his fight for freedom because everybody deserves a second chance.
Please feel free to Share on Facebook or other social media… Thank you..

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/236/653/253/help-joshua-phillips-get-a-second-chance-at-life/#bbtw=636983784

By: Gracie

Gracie — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 22:55:14 +0000

Another example of a 14 year old boy murdering. He received life sentences and was tried as a adult.

On February 2, 1996, the Frontier Middle School was devastated by a hostage-taking incident and shooting spree that occurred in an algebra class. It took the lives of three people (two students and a teacher) and resulted in the critical injury of one student. The person accused was a 14-year-old boy named Barry Dale Loukaitis, who was experiencing delusional and messianic thoughts before the shooting. Barry was dressed to look like a gunslinger from the Wild West in a black duster, and armed with a .30-30 caliber rifle, a .357 caliber pistol and a .25 caliber pistol that belonged to his father. The students were held hostage for 10 minutes before a gym coach tricked and outwitted the boy.It was believed that, aside from a history of mental illness and dysfunctional issues in his family, Barry was influenced by Pearl Jam’s song and video “Jeremy.” The video shows a troubled youth committing suicide in front of his classmates and teacher. It was also reported that he said “This sure beats algebra, doesn’t it?” when he saw his classmates panic. This is a quote from a Stephen King novel, Rage, in which the protagonist kills two teachers and takes his algebra class hostage. Barry is currently serving two life sentences, with an additional 205 years in prison.

By: Gracie

Gracie — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 22:44:17 +0000

I have read all the articles on this trial and yes joshuas mother DID find the body in the waterbed hidden, perhaps it manage to hide the smell who knows. she reported it to the police to where the police received the body and autopsy was done. for other people to ‘judge’ this story, the writer should have included the full story. Maddie had markings of attempted strangulation with a phone wire, stabbed 9 times in the chest and twice in the neck. Autopsy stated she died after this once put into the water bed. Joshua having a problem of ‘impaired judgement’ not meaning a blurred line of morality between right and wrong. There is physical evidence and a confession of Joshua saying he committed the crime, yet did not really know why. He deserves to be in Jail, child or not, its about the crime and not the age. The judge at the hearing stated he should be tried as an adult due to him committing adult crimes, and that he should have a millstone hung by his neck so he could sink in the sea for one to cause such harm and brutality to a innocent child.

By: Gracie

Gracie — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 22:36:12 +0000

Murder is still murder, despite the age of the attacker. And in the case of Josh Phillips, it was a brutal murder. Whatever the age, it is only fair and right to be trialed for the case itself and not the age (child/adult.) Age should not matter. I have read many cases of 12/14 year old boys raping and brutally murdering younger girls. However because they were tried as a ‘child,’ they only got 6 years imprisonment when if a man at age 25 for example committed the same crime would get 50 years or possible life sentences depending on the nature of the crime. I think it is disgusting for murderous children (whether they know its wrong or not) to get barley any sentence behind bars. It is an adult crime and any child who commits such crimes, should be tried as an adult.
People should be tried for the crimes they commit, as that is why there is laws for it. NOT their age and being lenient with it.
Perhaps it wasn’t right for the kid to get a life sentence with any appeals, but none the less, the child deserved to get an ‘adult’ sentence behind bars. Many people on here are saying its very un-constitutional for the Florida law system to be giving him a life sentence with out appeal and hes ‘only a child.’ Well its VERY un-constitutional for one to commit a brutal murder against an innocent child, no matter what they’re age is. Perhaps the child should be in a mental institute instead of jail, however i do not feel sorry for someone to cause such a heinous act of murder. Before the murder took place, Police found that he had looked up violent porn on the computer. What kind of child would do this? He hit her with a baseball bat, attempted to strangle her with a phone line, stabbed her 9 times (with his pocket knife) in the body (when she made too much noise, he panicked) and then 2 times in the neck. An autopsy revealed she was still alive when was stuffed into his waterbed, but shortly died after. Even if he did have a mental illness (his was impaired judgement, and panics quickly in situations), this still meant he couldn’t handle a situation and instead killed someone to shut them up and after did ‘not understand what had happened.’ Why would you let someone like this back on the streets? Who could result in violence so quickly when in a panicked situation. Imagine what he could do in future if he got let out. He was a ‘normal’ kid and no one knew what was coming, so how would we know if he’d do it again in future or not? There is no guarantee and (a huge percentage) most people sent to jail for murders and get released always commit murder or other crimes again. I do not feel sorry for this boy in any case and he i believe it was right to be trialed as an adult as he did a brutal act of murder.

By: Rachael prazeres

Rachael prazeres — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:15:23 +0000

Maybe she didnt die straight away.. Her body may not have been decomposing for as long as thought.
He killed an inncocent child, he deserves to be punished BUT he himself was a child non the less and their minds do not work the same way as an adult , there reasonings are not as thought out, whilst ever he may have had an understanding for consiquience OBVIOUSLY
His understanding of it didnt go beyond simply getting into trouble via his own father.

Clearly he wasn’t given a fair trial based on everything iv read…
The world had come a long way in over ten years and I think he deserves a new trial..

if the victims mother agrees then how can’t a court of law.. Based on facts, he deserves one.