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Monday, July 13, 2009
Yellow Springs killer agrees to plea deal
XENIA — The Yellow Springs man set to go to trial today, July 13, for the alleged bludgeoning death of his childhood friend agreed to a last minute plea deal with prosecutors.
Phillip K. Cordell, 48, will spend five years in prison for the 2004 killing of Timothy Harris, 45, who was struck in the head with an ashtray. Cordell was scheduled to go to trial for murder and involuntary manslaughter today, but agreed to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and five years in prison.
Yellow Springs police investigated the case for four years and Cordell was always a suspect. During the inquiry he was serving a prison sentence for an unrelated burglary and was charged with Harris death shortly before leaving prison.
“Police never gave up,” said Suzanne Schmidt, first assistant county prosecutor. “It was a long investigation and we ended it with him taking responsibility.”
Cordell apologized to the victim’s family members present in the court room Monday saying he wanted to “pay respect” to Harris family and two daughters and he was “sorry for their loss.”
Sgt. Thomas Jones, Yellow Springs police, said the plea will bring some closure to his small community. “It doesn’t bring this young man back,” Jones said. “He was loved in the community.”
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Accused killer in last-minute conference with prosecutors
UPDATED: XENIA — The Yellow Springs man set to go to trial today, July 13, for the alleged bludgeoning death of his childhood friend agreed to a last minute plea deal with prosecutors. More: Yellow Springs killer agrees to plea deal
EARLIER:
XENIA — Jury selection is expected to begin this morning, July 13, in the murder trial of a Yellow Springs man accused of killing a long-time friend by striking him over the head with an ashtray.
Phillip K. Cordell was arrested after Yellow Springs police investigated the murder of Timothy Harris for four years. During the police inquiry, Cordell was locked up in the Madison Correctional Institution for an unrelated burglary charge.
As he was preparing to leave prison, police arrested Cordell and a few days later he was indicted for murder by a Greene County grand jury. Cordell and Greene County prosecutors were in a last-minute conference just after 9 a.m. Monday and jury selection is expected to begin later today.
At trial prosecutors are expected to introduce evidence against Cordell, including statements he made to police and Harris’ blood that was found on the coat Cordell was wearing when he was arrested. Harris’ murder was a mystery to much of the Yellow Springs community during the four years police investigated, but officers who worked on the case said he was always a suspect.
Prosecutors also believe Cordell took Harris’ 1987 Toyota Celica to a Xenia scrap yard in December 2004 just days before his body was discovered in a Yellow Springs home. Prosecutors have declined to discuss a motive for the killing. Cordell has past convictions for drug possession, domestic violence and burglary.
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