14-year-old Joe Phillips tragically burned to death while trapped inside a tire recycling plant that he and his friend inadvertently set on fire. During the friend’s sentencing hearing this week Joe’s last words, left on the boy’s voicemail were made public to the court, and they are certainly devastating to hear.
As the building around him burned down, Phillips called his friend and left a message saying, “I’m really stuck. Dude, I’m [expletive]. I’m [expletive] going to die.”
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The 30-second long message ended with Phillips saying, “Sorry, dude. I love you, man. I never thought I would die this way.”
Last August, Phillips and his unidentified juvenile accomplice snuck into the HTI recycling property and started playing with a lighter, eventually setting a fire that grew out of control and burned for three days, even causing residents nearby to have to evacuate their homes temporarily.
A couple of days later, as authorities assessed the reach of the fire’s damage, Philips’ body was discovered among the ruins.
The friend, who’s only identifying factor given is that he’s 13 years old, pleaded guilty in march to “felony-level counts of fourth-degree arson and third-degree burglary.”
John Sansone, the case prosecutor told reporters, “I’ve been doing this since 2004, and I’ve never seen a case of this magnitude that divided the community the way that this divided the community.” He later added, “Anyway that it’s resolved would have been a tragic situation. You can’t bring Joe Phillips back. You can’t bring those buildings back.”
Ultimately, the real divisive issue for the community seems to have been if both boys were equally responsible, what should the punishment be for the survivor?
His sentencing ended up being one year’s probation, which will be spent receiving as much clinical counseling as his doctors feel is needed.
A. Angelo DiMillo, the teen’s defense lawyer, also acknowledged the tragic nature of the case, saying, “I feel terrible for Joe’s family, I really do. I can only try and imagine the heartache that they’re going through. This is a tragedy beyond anyone’s imagination.”
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[H/T: People Crime]
