Joshua Phillips returns to court Monday for a sentencing review after serving 25 years for Maddie Clifton’s 1998 murder.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a case that shook the Jacksonville community and attracted national attention, Maddie Clifton, 8, was tragically killed by her 14-year-old neighbor, Joshua Phillips, in November 1998. Phillips, who has been serving a life sentence, is set to return to a Duval County courtroom on Monday as part of his sentencing review process.
Clifton was initially reported missing in November 1998. A week after her disappearance, her body was discovered beneath Phillips’ waterbed. She had suffered severe beatings and stab wounds. Phillips was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life behind bars.
In 2017, Phillips was re-sentenced to life imprisonment with a mandatory review after 25 years. This came after a supreme court ruling declared it unconstitutional to impose life sentences on juveniles without the possibility of parole.
A hearing is now set for Monday to schedule Phillips’ sentencing review.
Attorney Shannon Schott said a judge will have to consider certain factors, like whether he has shown maturity and remorse, and his behavior in prison.
“The emphasis becomes less about what he did in the late 90’s, and more about who he is as a person today and if he should be entitled to be free in society,” Schott said.
Once a date is set the sentencing review, Schott said the public defender’s office will begin looking into the last 25 years of Phillips’ life.
“What’s going to happen in the next few weeks is the public defenders office is going to reopen their case, they will look into what has been happening with Joshua Phillips over the last 25 years, and they will start preparing their arguments for why he should have a meaningful opportunity for release,” Schott said.
