KATHERINE "Baby Kate" PHILLIPS - 4 Months (6/2011) - Ludington (NW of Grand Rapids) MI

It's about time they charged him.  I hope they have the evidence down pat.

Baby Kate murder-warrant statement: Case against Sean Phillips circumstantial

By John S. Hausman
on October 08, 2013 at 4:54 PM
updated October 08, 2013 at 5:08 PM

LUDINGTON, MI – The arrest warrant charging Sean Michael Phillips with the murder of his long-missing, 4 ½-month-old daughter, Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips, is based on a summary of circumstantial evidence mostly made public already.

Phillips, 23, was arraigned last Friday, Oct. 4, on one count of open murder, alleging he killed his daughter June 29, 2011, in Mason County. A charge of open murder can lead to a conviction of either first- or second-degree murder.

The baby has been missing since that day, last seen with Sean Phillips, according to her mother. Katherine Phillips’ body has never been found despite extensive searches in Mason County.

Mason County’s 79th District Court on Tuesday, Oct. 8, released transcripts of last week’s six-minute probable-cause hearing that led to the arrest warrant. That hearing consisted of a sworn statement Oct. 4 by Detective Mike Kenney of the Mason County Sheriff’s Department to District Court Magistrate Patricia Baker, leading to Baker’s issuance of the warrant.

A few hours after that warrant was issued, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the murder charge at a news conference with Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola at Ludington City Hall. “New evidence has been discovered which supports a murder charge in this case,” Schuette said, without stating what the new evidence was.

The only possibly new element in the detective's statement to the magistrate was this: “Extensive analysis by scientists of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the Chicago Field Museum of the biological material and soil on the shoes of Sean Phillips has narrowed the probable location of the crime to a specific wetland area in Mason County, Michigan.”

That "probable location" was not disclosed, nor was the size of the wetland area it was "narrowed to."

One June 28 and 29 of this year, scores of volunteers scoured wooded, overgrown areas of northern Mason County, collecting samples of plants and mosses in search of a combination that matched samples found on Sean Phillips’ tennis shoes after his arrest. The hope was to find the area where Phillips allegedly left Baby Kate’s body.

The results of that search have not been announced, and Schuette did not say Oct. 4 whether the “new evidence” is related to the search.

Besides the “specific wetland area” reference, this is the summary the detective outlined of what he described as circumstantial evidence, all of it previously made public:

   • Sean Phillips was the last person seen with Katherine Phillips.

   • He was in possession of her diaper bag, car seat and the clothes she was last seen wearing when police apprehended him more than three hours after her disappearance.

   • His whereabouts cannot be accounted for during about 2 ½ hours of that time, while the baby was in his custody.

   • The baby was four months old at the time and wasn’t capable of caring for herself.

   • In a prison letter last year to Baby Kate’s mother, Ariel Courtland, Phillips stated that he was with the baby when she died and that she was thrown from an infant car seat after he angrily ripped the seat out of his car, supposedly not knowing the baby was in it.

   • He had motive to kill his daughter because court-ordered paternity tests, which he had resisted because he didn’t want to acknowledge paternity, were scheduled for the time he disappeared with her.

Authorities believe Sean Phillips dumped Baby Kate’s body in what Phillips himself -- in his Aug. 2012 letter from prison to Courtland -- called a “peaceful place.” In that letter, he claimed he didn’t realize the baby was in an infant car seat that he violently yanked out of the back seat of his car while he was angry at Ariel, thus throwing Katherine from the car seat.

The detective also noted that Phillips has given three conflicting stories about the baby’s whereabouts.

Besides the prison-letter version, on the day of Baby Kate’s disappearance he told police that Courtland had her; and on July 11, 2011, in a letter found by a Mason County Jail deputy in Phillips’ jail clothing, he claimed he “gave her to a guy” for adoption.

Phillips is already serving a prison term of 10 to 15 years for unlawful imprisonment of his daughter. A Mason County jury convicted him of that in April 2012. Phillips has appealed the conviction and the sentence, and that appeal is still pending before the Michigan Court of Appeals.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/10/baby_kate_murder-warrant_state.html

Father, 23, charged with murder of 'Baby Kate' faces hearing to find out if he'll stand trial for her death - despite no body ever being found

By Louise Boyle Published: 11:10 EST, 3 April 2014

A father accused of killing his infant daughter is facing an important hearing to determine if there’s enough evidence to send the case to trial.

Sean Phillips, 23, from northern Michigan, is charged with murder in the disappearance of four-month-old Katherine Phillips, who is known as 'Baby Kate'. She hasn’t been seen since 2011.

The court hearing starts on Thursday in Ludington, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, and is expected to last for two days.


Sean Phillips (pictured in a 2012 mugshot) has been charged with killing his infant daughter, baby Kate (right), who disappeared in 2011

Phillips has been in prison since 2012 for a crime related to the case. He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for unlawful imprisonment for failing to return the child to her mother.

Investigators have tried to find a body by examining seeds and other plant material on Phillips’ shoes. There have been extensive searches in Mason County.

Baby Katherine was four-and-a-half months old when last seen June 29, 2011, in the Ludington area, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.

Prosecutors said previously that Phillips took the baby from her mother because he feared a court-ordered paternity test would show he was the father.

Baby Kate's mother Ariel Courtland testified last year that she last saw her daughter in a car seat in the back of Phillips' vehicle.

Precious: Baby Kate was 4-and-a-half months old when last seen June 29, 2011, in the Ludington area, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan


Baby Kate's mother Ariel Courtland (right), testified last year that she last saw her daughter in a car seat inside Phillips' vehicle

Police found Phillips about three hours after Ms Courtland reported her daughter's disappearance.

Officers found an empty car seat and diaper bag in the trunk and found the infant’s balled-up, inside-out clothing in his pocket.

Investigators have said that seeds and other material on Phillips' shoes could be crucial to locating a body.

Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola said that since Phillips' conviction on the related charge, detectives have spent ‘countless hours’ on the case.

‘This continuing investigation has included review of biological evidence, site visits, and the enlistment of experts from all over the world who are preeminent in their fields,’ Mr Spaniola said.

In July 2012, Phillips wrote a shocking letter from behind bars to Baby Kate's mother, confessing to killing the child in a fit of rage and then dumping her body in the middle of nowhere.

Kate Phillips - known in the area as Baby Kate - disappeared on July 29, 2011, and Phillips was arrested the same day.

In his letter published last September, the convict wrote how he ripped the child's car seat from the vehicle without realizing she was sitting in it, fatally injuring Baby Kate as she is thrown to the ground.

The open murder charge means a jury can consider both first- and second-degree murder.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596084/man-accused-killing-daughter-hell-stand-trial-death-no-body-found.html

Well maybe he'll finally tell where she's buried but I doubt it.  He'll try any trick to get offf. Saying he did not know she was in the car seat. Bull, a car seat weigh's enough and add a four month old you know she's in it. She was a cute little angel.  This guy should get the death penalty.  William

Hearing to resume in missing baby's slaying

The Associated Press 10:01 p.m. EDT May 12, 2014



LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) - A court hearing for a northern Michigan man accused of killing his baby daughter will continue this summer.

Sean Phillips' preliminary examination on an open murder charge is scheduled July 31 in 79th District Court.

Baby Kate, as she's known, disappeared in 2011. Her body hasn't been found.

Mason County Judge Pete Wadel last month allowed defense experts to examine a letter linking Phillips to Katherine Phillips' disappearance. Phillips' handwritten letter to the girl's mother says the 4 1/2-month-old was accidentally killed and left in a "peaceful place."

Phillips already is serving at least 10 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment in the girl's disappearance.


http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/lakeshore/2014/05/12/sean-phillips-prelim-to-resume/9021755/

Casey Anthony taught a slew of baby killers that if they hide the body they can likely get by with murder. 

I hope this monster  burns in hell.

Judge in Ludington drops murder charge against dad in disappearance of 'Baby Kate'
Katherine Phillips disappeared in 2011 in the Ludington area

Published On: Sep 15 2014 02:22:19 PM EDT  
Updated On: Sep 15 2014 05:54:24 PM EDT

LUDINGTON, MA - A judge has dismissed a murder charge against a northern Lower Peninsula man, accused of killing his missing 4 ½-month-old daughter.

Mason County District Judge Peter Wadel in Ludington threw out the open murder charge Monday against 24-year-old Sean Phillips. Katherine Phillips disappeared in 2011 in the Ludington area, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.

Phillips already is serving 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of the girl widely known as "Baby Kate."

Her body remains missing, and the judge says there isn't enough evidence she's dead.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and county Prosecutor Paul Spaniola say they'll appeal the decision. Schuette says "Baby Kate deserves full justice."

Wadel presided over a probable cause hearing for the father that ended July 31.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/judge-in-ludington-drops-murder-charge-against-dad-in-disappearance-of-baby-kate/28067314

Appeal hearing set in Michigan's 'Baby Kate' case

Appeal hearing set in dismissed murder case against Scottville man in baby's disappearance

POSTED: 08:28 AM EDT Oct 31, 2014 



CBS Photo.
 
LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) -


A hearing is set for December on prosecutors' appeal of the dismissal of a murder charge against a northern Lower Peninsula man accused of killing his missing infant daughter.


The hearing date of Dec. 5 was set Thursday. Arguments will be held in Mason County Circuit Court.

State and county prosecutors are appealing District Judge Peter Wadel's September ruling that threw out an open murder charge against 24-year-old Sean Phillips.

Katherine Phillips disappeared in 2011 in the Ludington area, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.

Phillips already is serving 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of the girl widely known as "Baby Kate."

Her body remains missing. Wadel says there isn't enough evidence she's dead.


http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/appeal-hearing-set-in-michigans-baby-kate-case/29452052

Hearing Set for Appeal on Murder Charge Dismissal in "Baby Kate" Case

Posted: Sat 8:36 PM, Nov 01, 2014




LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) -- A hearing is set for December on prosecutors' appeal of the dismissal of a murder charge against a northern Lower Peninsula man accused of killing his missing infant daughter.


The hearing date of Dec. 5 was set Thursday. Arguments will be held in Mason County Circuit Court.

State and county prosecutors are appealing District Judge Peter Wadel's September ruling that threw out an open murder charge against 24-year-old Sean Phillips.

Katherine Phillips disappeared in 2011 in the Ludington area, about 80 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.

Phillips already is serving 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of the girl widely known as "Baby Kate."

Her body remains missing. Wadel says there isn't enough evidence she's dead.


http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Hearing-Set-for-Appeal--281199501.html