GUILTY MI - Katherine 'Kate' Phillips, 4 mos, Ludington, 29 June 2011 (Deceased/Not Found)

[Queen Bee]

:bump:

hearing today.........please take a quick refresher with post 652 above........


:rose: baby kate

 

[Ozoner]

I am convinced that Phillips killed the baby, but charging him with murder now seems risky. Why not wait until his sentence is almost up? That would increase the likelihood of the baby's body being found. We've all seen how stupid some jurors are (for instance, Jennifer Ford on the Casey Anthony jury); some of them might think that the baby could still be alive.

 

[Fence Sitter]

Thanks for the updates! Ive followed this case for a while and want to see justice served. I wish she was found

 

[Queen Bee]

Judge Wadel can hear Baby Kate murder case

LUDINGTON, Mich. (WOOD) — Mason County Judge Peter Wadel can hear the trial of Sean Phillips for the murder of his infant daughter Katherine.

Monday, Judge Scott Hill-Kennedy of Mecosta County denied a motion filed by the state Attorney General’s Office and the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office seeking Wadel’s disqualification.

http://woodtv.com/2015/06/09/judge-wadel-can-hear-baby-kate-murder-case/

 

[Queen Bee]

very helpful in catching up on this case..........interactive timeline

the Baby Kate case
http://woodtv.com/timeline-the-baby-kate-case/

 

[Queen Bee]

RULING: Wadel can hear Phillips case

Noting almost a dozen examples of law and court rules that state that removing a judge from a case should be an extreme step only used in extraordinary situations, 49th Circuit Court Judge Scott Hill-Kennedy ruled that Judge Peter Wadel can remain on the Sean Phillips murder case in 51st Circuit Court, where Hill-Kennedy served as a visiting judge on Monday.

Hill-Kennedy was appointed by the State Court Administrator’s Office to hear a motion to disqualify Wadel filed by Michigan Assistant Attorney General Donna Pendergast.

Judge Scott Hill-Kennedy hears arguments over potentially disqualifying Judge Peter Wadel from the Sean Phillips murder case. Phillips is accused of murdering his then-infant daughter, Katherine "Baby Kate" Phillips in June 2011

Michigan Assistant Attorney General Donna Pendergast argues for disqualifying Judge Peter Wadel from the Sean Phillips murder case. Phillips is accused of killing his then-infant daughter Katherine "Baby Kate" Phillips in June of 2011.

Two Michigan Corrections Officers and local law enforcement escort Sean Phillips out of the Mason County Courthouse this Thursday. July 31, 2014 after his preliminary hearing on a charge of open murder in the case of his missing daughter .

http://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludin...cle_03fcb01c-0dda-11e5-a2ea-93a7d22be5f6.html

very thorough.......worth a read.......

 

[Lurkey Lou]

Interesting, just saw this today.

http://fox17online.com/2015/07/09/m...-baby-kate-case-and-baby-doe-found-in-boston/

Does anyone know if there is an age progressed picture of Baby Kate?

 

[skydelta3574]

Interesting, just saw this today.

http://fox17online.com/2015/07/09/m...-baby-kate-case-and-baby-doe-found-in-boston/

Does anyone know if there is an age progressed picture of Baby Kate?

As far as I know, no age progressed photo. I can definitely see the resemblance in facial features between Baby Kate and Baby Doe, but the theories just seem way too far fetched to me. Then again, truth is stranger than fiction.

I just have trouble thinking Sean Phillips would allow himself to be put away all of this time if he believed his daughter to be alive and well in another state. But we'll see.

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk

 

[psyquestor]

I too think there is a similarity between Baby Doe and Baby Kate. Some are saying that Kate's eyes are blue; not brown; but eye color is changeable at her young age. (My oldest daughter had light green eyes that settled to brown after nearly two years).

Yes, it's a long shot and no, there is no age progressed photo of Kate. However Kate has an older sister iirc. Do we have any photos of her to compare to Baby Doe? ((I did search and came up empty handed)).

Also, the father did state (at first) that he gave Kate away because her Mom reneged on adoption for the girl (multiple times iirc). Sean was allegedly angry that Kate's Mom had promised to sign the papers, only to back out at the last moment. IIRC Sean did not feel that he and Ariel (?) would be able to care for a second child; financially or otherwise. Later reports say he wrote a letter to Ariel (?) saying he had killed Katheryn accidentally and disposed of her body.

In any event DNA will clear this up fairly quickly. I hope they find out who this little angel is. My heart breaks to think of all the life this child will not get to live.

 

[jjohnston0827]

Remains of Boston child not a DNA match to Baby Kate

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/lo...9/is-body-found-in-boston-baby-kate/29928907/

 

[byo]

Baby Kate murder case against dad can go to trial, appeals court rules
update:October 23, 2015 at 11:00 AM

The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the "Baby Kate" murder case against Sean Michael Phillips, ruling that the case can proceed to trial. In an opinion dated Thursday, Oct. 22, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously that a Mason County circuit judge properly reinstated the murder case after Mason County District Judge Peter Wadel had dismissed it at the preliminary examination stage.

In the other proceeding in the complicated case, the state attorney general on Oct. 16 appealed a visiting judge's ruling that Wadel was within his rights to appoint himself the trial judge for Phillips' murder case in circuit court. Wadel made that self-appointment as Mason County's chief judge because the county's only other judges both have conflicts.

Assistant Attorney General Donna L. Pendergast argues that Wadel cannot fairly preside over the murder case at trial because he has already, as a district judge, concluded it does not merit trial.

And in other news:

Mother of missing 'Baby Kate' recently charged with assault and battery
update:November 17, 2015 at 2:11 PM

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/03/long-missing_babys_dad_must_fa.html

The Michigan Supreme Court has upheld the "Baby Kate" murder case against the long-vanished infant's father, Sean Michael Phillips, ruling that the case can proceed to trial.

In a one-sentence order released Wednesday, March 9, the high court denied Phillips' request to appeal an Oct. 22 judgment by the Michigan Court of Appeals upholding the murder case...

In a separate case, Attorney General Bill Schuette and Spaniola are appealing a circuit judge's decision that Wadel – the judge who once ruled the murder case too weak to go to trial – can preside over the trial itself.

 

[Rayemonde]

The court issued an order Wednesday saying it wouldn't hear an appeal by Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette that sought to replace Judge Peter Wadel...

The case originally was dismissed by Wadel, who found insufficient proof Kate was killed. Her body hasn't been found.

The murder case earlier was upheld.

http://upnorthlive.com/news/local/court-clears-way-for-trial-for-man-in-missing-baby-case

 

[byo]

Dad of long-vanished Baby Kate gets murder trial date. There's still no body
updated May 05, 2016 at 2:22 PM

Phillips' jury trial on a charge of open murder, expected to last 15 days, has been scheduled to start Sept. 26, according to a Mason County Circuit Court clerk. Phillips has a final pretrial conference set for 1 p.m. Sept. 6.

With a charge of open murder, juries have the options of acquittal or conviction of either first-degree murder, second-degree murder or in some cases manslaughter.

 

[byo]

Phillips to appear in court today; Baby Kate murder trial scheduled for later this month.
September 6, 2016
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

Sean Michael Phillips is scheduled to appear in 51st Circuit Court at the Mason County Courthouse today at 1 p.m. for a final conference.

A final conference is typically an opportunity for the prosecutor to offer a plea agreement to the defendant. If the defendant refuses the plea agreement, then the matter will go to trial.

Phillips is currently serving the fourth year of a 10 to 15 year prison sentence for the unlawful imprisonment of Katherine Phillips.

The case is scheduled for trial from Sept. 26 to Oct. 14

9 & 10 News ‏@9and10News 50 minutes ago
Sean Philips is headed to court & it's his last chance to make a deal before he heads to trial for #BabyKate's death.

 

[byo]

Trial moves forward in Baby Kate case.
September 6, 2016
By MCP’s Rob Alway and Allison Scarbrough.

After some discussion in chambers with Prosecutor Donna Pendergast of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola and Defense Attorney David Glancy, Mason County’s 79th District Court Judge Peter Wadel came out into the courtroom and announced to the media that “nothing on the record was happening today.”

The case remains scheduled for trial from Sept. 26 to Oct. 14.

 

[byo]

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 41m41 minutes ago
Jury selection underway in trail of Sean Phillips accused of the murder of his infant daughter. More @WOODTV

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 26m26 minutes ago Ludington, MI
Sean Phillips defense team includes former Berrien County prosecutor, US Atty, fed judge appointee and GOP candidate for AG John Smietanka


Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 14m14 minutes ago Ludington, MI
@ReporterBartonD Will this be live streamed?
@michele29sc not the whole thing. Perhaps when there is a verdict.

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 8m8 minutes ago Mason County Courthouse
Former FBI agent turned PI Eugene Debbaudt -- famous for cracking Robert Fryling murder -- also on Sean Phillips defense team. More @WOODTV

 

[byo]

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 3m3 minutes ago

Sean Phillips (right) looking at a three-week trial on charges he murdered his infant daughter Kate. More @WOODTV

 

[byo]

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 20m20 minutes ago Ludington, MI

Voir dire is taking place in judge's chambers. Not sure if that's Hoyle. Isn't it supposed to be in open court?

 

[byo]

Barton Deiters ‏@ReporterBartonD 8m8 minutes ago Ludington, MI

Mason County Judge Peter Wadel continues to bring potential jurors into locked door chamber voir dire. Says there is not room for media.