Pubdate: Thu, 06 Dec 2001
Source: Herald-Citizen (TN)
Copyright: 2001 Herald-Citizen, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc
Contact:  http://www.herald-citizen.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1501
Author: Mary Jo Denton

MONTEREY TEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DRUG OVERDOSE DEATH

A 15-year-old Monterey High student was arrested yesterday on a murder 
charge. He allegedly sold drugs to a younger relative who died of an 
overdose in October. Putnam Sheriff's Deputy and Monterey High School 
Resource Officer Tracey Langford made the arrest at Monterey High yesterday.

The boy, whose name was not disclosed due to his young age, was taken to 
the Putnam Juvenile Detention Center in Cookeville.

He is charged with second degree murder and with sale and delivery of a 
controlled substance in the death of Jonathan Shannon Phillips, 14, who was 
found dead in his home on the morning of October 2.

The Phillips boy died of a drug overdose, according to an autopsy which was 
done in Nashville, Putnam Sheriff Jerry Abston said.

He died of methadone, which is a drug that is prescribed and used to help 
those trying to break severe drug addictions, but he himself had not had a 
drug problem, officials said.

"The Monterey Police Dept. and SRO Tracey Langford investigated this case, 
and it was determined that this boy, a relative of the Phillips boy, sold 
methadone to him," Sheriff Abston said.

Asked where the boy now under arrest got that methadone, the sheriff said, 
"We think we know the answer to that, but the investigation is 
substantially complete with this arrest."

Sheriff Abston said the officers who investigated the case conferred with 
District Attorney Bill Gibson, who advised that they take a juvenile 
petition charging the 15-year-old with second degree murder.

The murder charge comes from a state law providing for such a criminal 
charge against someone who "distributes a schedule drug which then causes 
someone's death," according to Assistant District Attorney David Patterson, 
who was on his way to Putnam Juvenile Court this morning to represent the 
state in the case.

Some sources familiar with the case said methadone pills were found in the 
Phillips boy's pockets after his death.

A student at Burks Middle School in Monterey, the Phillips boy lived with 
his grandparents on Walnut St. in Monterey.

On the morning of Oct. 2, his grandmother found him dead in his bed. The 
boy had been sick with a virus and had not felt well for a couple of days, 
Monterey Police Chief Bruce Breedlove said at that time.

Investigators believed at that time that the boy had been dead two or three 
hours when his grandmother found him.

The 15-year-old who was arrested yesterday was to be brought to Juvenile 
Court today, according to Juvenile Court Youth Services Officer Terry Cox.
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