The Mississippi Parole Board was brave enough to release two-time killer Lamar Phillips but not brave enough to say which members voted for his release. Phillips murdered Millsaps honor student and star football player Bradley Dew in 1992. He killed another man two days later. Despite being sentenced to serve life in prison, the Parole Board released him earlier this year.
After much delay, JJ obtained the Parole Board's file of Lamar Phillips. However, the Parole Board redacted the minutes where it stated how the board members voted on Phillip's release. Yes, you read that correctly. The Parole Board blacked out the minutes even though those are public record and the decision was not made in executive session. (p.28 in the documents posted below). However, someone slipped up and did not redact a sentence that stated James not-Fenmoore Cooper voted no.
Phillips applied for parole in December 2024. The Parole Board released him to Rankin County in March and placed him on probation with electronic monitoring for one year.
The Parole Board said it notified the victim's family, Judge, Sheriff, and District Attorney as required by law but received no response. The action letter cited Phillips' clean prison record, served a "sufficient portion" of his sentence, and participation in rehabilitative programs as reasons for parole.
Judge William Coleman died ten years ago so it's doubtful he could have replied. JPD investigated the case so the Hinds County Sheriff would have had no knowledge of the case. No one contacted the prosecutor, Cynthia Speetjeens, who is now in private practice. No one in the District Attorney's office had knowledge of the case. The Attorney General was notified but since that office had no contact with the case, it is doubtful it has any information.
The victim's family opposed his release in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Bradley's father, Dr. Richard Dew, said he stopped going to the hearings because he had repeatedly made his feelings known to the board. It is indeed a perverse punishment that makes the family relive the murder of their loved one ever 18 to 24 months.
Since the family did not state its opposition even though it had done so multiple times, the Parole Board claimed the family did not oppose parole. Don't you love bureaucrat logic?
Want another example of Parole Board logic? Check out the so-called notice that was sent to all concerned. Notice anything missing?
As one can see, there is no mention of the crime in the notification. Thus the Parole Board expects the appropriate law enforcement agencies to go research their files for every parole notification they receive. More bureaucrat logic.
Per the Parole Board, the Dew family must suffer knowing their son's killer is free.
Synopsis of Case
Heralding from east Tennessee, the 21 year-old Dew was an outstanding linebacker for the Millsaps Majors on the gridiron while earning academic honors in his studies. Dew worked at the Mosquito Grill on Millsaps Avenue. As he drove home on West Street after getting off work at midnight on June 6, 1992, Lamar and Cedric Morris decided to use Dew for target practice with a .32 pistol. They were even sporting enough to take turns using the same gun. A dying Dew crashed into a yard while Phillips and Morris went their merry way. Phillips fired the fatal bullet. He was only 20 years old.
Phillips killed another person several days later.
In what can only be described as typical for JPD, the police said Dew was not a victim of foul play but must have been on drugs and fallen asleep at the wheel (You read that correctly). While JPD smeared Dew, Phillips bragged about his trophy killing. Thankfully, Dew had some friends who showed their true mettle when it counted most.
Blair Sherman and Jason McGonagill went to the wrecker's yard to examine the vehicle. Their worst fears were confirmed as they found multiple bullet holes in the 1990 Mazda pick-up truck. Their discovery forced JPD to investigate with more than a little bit of egg on its face. JPD arrested Phillips and Morris, charging them with murder. Phillips later blamed rap music, weed, and alcohol for causing him to kill that night.
The two men pleaded guilty to murder and received life sentences in 1993. Someone convicted of first-degree or capital murder and sentenced to life is not eligible for parole* today but such was not the case back in 1993 as the killers were eligible for parole after only ten years. Yup, in 1993, life meant 10 years.
The possibility of a short sentence for Phillips and Morris outraged all. Dr. Richard Dew, Bradley's father and a physician in Oliver Springs, TN, said "Justice is not being done here today. There is an eternal justice waiting where there are no lawyers, no plea-bargaining, no deals, and no parole. I think it's absurd that someone can blow someone away just for the hell of it and be able to get out in 10 years. It makes no sense to me."
The Clarion-Ledger chimed in a March 25, 1993 editorial: "That a person can wantonly kill two people in six days and walk away eligible for parole in 10 years is a sickening indictment against our ciminal justice system.... It says "life is cheap." (The editorial is posted below.)
The furor caused the legislature to tighten the law to make life mean life for convicted murderers. Unfortunately, the new law does not apply to Morris and Phillips.
The Mississippi Parole Board released Morris on December 8, 2008. Earlier post.
The Parole Board released Phillips on March 20, 2025 while no one was looking. The ever-gracious Dr. Dew said he received a notification about the hearing but did not attend. Phillips received a parole hearing every 18 months in what can only be described as a twisting of the knife for victims' families in the criminal justice system. Dr. Dew said he went to the first "13 or so" hearings but stopped going and trusted the Board to keep Phillips behind bars for the rest of his life as his feelings about parole were well-known to the Board
24 comments:
the media bombards the public with news of currently ongoing criminal cases but with the exception of the kingfish , no one ever knows about the animals that the parole board is constantly removing from the prison and releasing back into society.
ANY crime with a Hinds County connection travels a scurrilous path.
9:39 is right.
get a gun.
learn to use it.
the cops can't protect you, cops are not superhuman.
if you dont protect yourself , no one gonna do it for you.
this parole board is a joke an always has been.
there are two ultra bleeding heart liberals on that board.
one is an old white lady, and the other is a black middle-aged man. trust me , i know how this game is played.
True. When seconds count the cops are minutes away.
WHAT GOOD ARE PUBLIC RECORDS WHEN THE VERY INFORMATION YOU WANT TO SEE IS BLACKED OUT?
that parole board need to be indicted for obstruction of justice.
That palm grease goes a long ways.
JPD is so horrific. Thank God this young man had friends that can do the police officers job better than they can do it.
What a joke and how sad for the many dead in Jackson that did not have such action-taking pals.
betty lou jones is the parole board member who led the charge to let the cold blooded murderer out of prison where he belongs .
she is one of the ultra liberals mentioned by 9;49.
no one will go after this parole board because they are afraid of pissing off the man who appointed them............gov tate reeves.
these sort of things happen all the time here in the one party third world state of mississippi .
dont blame this on JPD. ITS THE PAROLE BOARD WHO LET HIM OUT!
Stonewall (in) Jackson
I DONT KNOW about you , but im not to impressed with all of his little certificates.
all his little programs are leftwing ,feel good , happy talk , bullshit.
but betty lou must have been very impressed.
Tate Reeves appointed all but one of the current parole board members, the aforementioned Betty Lou Jones.
Who decided to redact the details of how Tater's minions on the Parole Board made their sausage with this convicted murderer?
I can and will blame JPD. Its a miracle this person served ANY TIME AT ALL given the shit show investigation that KF clearly referenced in the article.
Yes the Parole board is useless. But its a miracle the guy ever got arrested at all since CITIZENS had to do JPD's job.
Understand?
Here are the members of the parole board as best as I can determine.
Jeffery Belk, chairman, Vancleave
Marlow Stewart, (?), replaced Nehemiah Flowers
James Cooper, Brandon
Philip Edward Moran, Kiln., replaced Anthony Smith
Julia Monteele Norman, Meridian, replaced Betty Lou Jones
The parole board appears to have accounts on Facebook, X and Instagram. Here is a link to their salaries.
https://govsalaries.com/salaries/MS/mississippi-department-of-corrections-mississippi-parole-board
LinkedIn shows Marlow Stewart Terry/Jackson MS on the MDOC Parole Board.
Philip Moran who has been indicted for bribery is on the Parole Board?!
Here's the latest:
Apparently Philip Moran has already been removed from the Parole Board:
"Cory Custer, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, said, “Mr. Moran’s tenure on the Mississippi Parole Board ended at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 2, 2025.” (https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-ms-coast-councilman-supposed-131717264.html)
Governor Reeves should be commended for moving fast on this!
Dr. Richard Dew
https://www.adamsprgroup.com/when-sorrow-comes-by-richard-dew.html
For all the idiots above, Betty Lou Jones has not been member of the Parole Board for over four years. Kinda hard for her to be given credit for this or anything else (except for having one of the most curious 'skip and fall' accidents - but thats another story).
Kingfish: Why didn't you post earlier the fact that he has a certificate of completing a course in Bible Verses? That makes a whale of difference in a man's rehabilitation.
PS: Evident throughout this whole thread is the fact that little attention is paid to the fact that the prisoner killed another man a day or two later.
Please, someone with the resources sue the Parole Board for the release of what is obviously public information. For you cowards who are too afraid to release your names, if it's too hot for you...
In 20 years my buddy's wife and son will go before parole board every year and ask to keep a murderer behind bars. You ever wakke up one morning in the middle of a Hank Williams Jr song?
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