Confession letter may be key evidence

MDOC Inspector Craig Smith with the alleged confession letter.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. 

LUDINGTON — New evidence that could lead Sean Phillips to the murder of his 4-month-old daughter was presented in court today, the second day of the preliminary examination to determine probable cause in the alleged murder of Katherine Phillips.

Sean Phillips with one of his attorneys.

Michigan Department of Corrections Inspector Craig Smith testified that he had intercepted a letter from Sean Phillips while Phillips was assigned to the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia. Because Phillips is suspect in an on-going investigation, the MDOC has a right to intercept and read any mail that the prisoner sends or receives, unless it is a legal document from an attorney.

The letter appeared to Smith to be a confession but it was not signed. The letter, previously posted on this site, says that the writer lost his temper and threw the carseat, with the baby in it, out of his car in the parking lot of Wendy’s of Ludington. The writer said he did not know the baby was in the car seat. He then put the dead baby in a peaceful place.

“It’s consistent with all the other letters that I’ve looked at,” Smith said when asked by defense attorney David Glancy.

The letter was not read in court, because the judge is the only person who needs to see it, as opposed to a jury during a trial. It is up to 79th District Court Judge Pete Wadel to determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to circuit court for a murder trial.