The Parole Board just can't seem to find its way to providing any records on its decision to release killer Lamar K. Phillips. Phillips killed Millsaps College student Bradley Dew and another man in separate shootings in 1992. Although sentenced to life in prison, the Mississippi Parole Board granted him parole earlier this year.
Dew was an honors student and star linebacker on the Millsaps football team.
JJ submitted a public records request on April 28 for a copy of Parole Board's file on Lamar K. Phillips. including letters of support, letters of opposition, action sheet, and minutes of the meeting where the decision to release or grant parole to him took place.
The Mississippi Public Records Act mandates records should be provided within seven business days unless the agency provides a reason in writing why it can't provide the records. The agency can take another seven business days to provide a records.
MDOC provided an invoice for $88 on May 6. Yours truly personally went down to MDOC that afternoon and paid it.
However, it is now May 28, 22 days after payment and a full month after submission of request, and still no records. The last message stated it was in the legal department.
Kingfish note: The treatment of this public records request is just one more example of how Mississippi has crapped all over the body of Bradley Dew. First Dew was murdered for fun. Then JPD said he fell asleep at the wheel due to drugs and crashed without even looking at the vehicle. Dew's friends found the bullet holes in the truck. Phillips pleads guilty but thanks to Mississippi law at the time, he is eligible for parole after ten years. That meant Dew's father, Dr. Richard Dew, had to attend a parole board hearing every 18 months. Some closure. The state spits on the Dews by releasing Phillips and now takes its sweet time finding the records.
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
22 comments:
More records may be found in the Cayman Islands or Switzerland.
As my attorney son so rightly observes, if wryly, "We don't have a justice system. We have a legal system." There is no justice for the Dew family. Now there never will be. Look for those two to capitalize on the state's generosity by visiting grief on more innocent victims and their families before long.
Looks like the penalty for this is a fine not to exceed $100. The penalty is so weak for a reason.
If this is crazy, check out the murder of Jaylen Burns. One of the accused and arrested was held in jail for almost a month. He was confirmed to be 90 miles away when the shooting happened.
Publish the identities and addresses of all the parole board members.
What wealthy and poweful people pulled the strings behind the curtain on this?
Even money bet: The convicted murder 'found jesus' and convinced a few influential 'christians' that he's a 'changed man.' Then the 'men of jesus' got busy and and worked the parole board harder than they work their collection plates.
Next thing you know there's a 'miracle' and here we are.
This could be why they want the miracles they have worked kept on the down low.
Hey Kingfish, I have looked around the net. It's hard enough to find the MS Parole Boards members' names, but are their parole decisions public?
Article from 2022 names new Chairman and other board members, so may not be current.
https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/gov-tate-reeves-appoints-new-parole-board-chairman/
There appears to be new legislation this year to increase the standards each member must meet, which resulted from the displeasure with some inmates that were paroled.
We need Steve Pickett back!
Hey Shad, want to shine light on something? Here you go.
I have a cousin who really deserves to be paroled. Does anyone know if they accept a check or only cash?
You would have thought that the parole board would take a cue from the Legislature tightening the law and voluntarily comply with the wishes of the elected representatives of the people and deny parole. But, no. Another tyranny of experts.
if the fish thinks this is is bad he ought to check into the saga of one douglas hodgkins , a rapiist murderer who was release by the parole boar back in 2009.
there is a book coming out summer of 2026 that is going to expose the names and all of the rampant political corruption that allow this physco killer to be set free.
but i seriously doubt the fish will publish this comment.
my point is that there is nothing new about the political corruption that surrounds the parole board.
Sad day for the Dew family & Mississippi!
Funny how people still think the criminal justice system still works.
Thank you, 12:55 -
Jeffery Belk, chairman, Vancleave
Marlow Stewart
James Cooper
Anthony Smith
Betty Lou Jones
I'm not approving your comment. Every time I write about a killer going free, you show up and start flooding the post with comments about the Hodgkins case. I allowed one comment in this thread. That's it. Stick to the subject of the post. If and when a book comes out, I might cover it.
Probably only cash, non-sequential bills.
Is it just me or do we all want to know who was pushing for his release. How magnanimous of them. Dollars to donuts, they would forgive the rapists of their daughters cause it gives them the tingles.
What's the chance we will see several letters parroting the phrase "moral rehabilitation?'
Some of you are against the state even *having* a parole board. The state constitution doesn't require it, so why not ditch it?
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