RIDGELAND – A 42-year-old Jasper County man and convicted felon and was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 following a three-day trial.
Billy Phillips of Ridgeland was found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Darius Woods on May 18, 2013 at Woods’ home on East Adams Street home. Phillips left town following Woods’ death and was later apprehended by U.S. Marshals in California. He had been on federal probation for a weapons conviction at the time of the murder.
His previous criminal history is lengthy and includes convictions dating back to 1992 from Massachusetts and Tennessee, to include: armed assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and probation violations.
Assistant Solicitors Mary Jones and Lynorr Musser prosecuted this case.
Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles handed down the 40-year sentence.
