Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, Murder and Firearms in Indian Country, Oklahoma 2024

Fort Towson Resident Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder And Firearms Charges In Indian Country

Fort Towson, Oklahoma - A Fort Towson resident has been sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country.

Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are set to be served consecutively.

The crime occurred on December 19, 2020, in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. According to investigators, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight. One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene.

Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial on October 25, 2023.

“The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”

Phillips will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.

Defendant: Thomas Raymond Phillips, III

Criminal Charges: First Degree Murder in Indian Country and Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence

City and State: Fort Towson, Oklahoma

Crime Date: December 19, 2020

Sentence: Life in prison and 120 months for Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence

Image: A photo of the Fort Towson bar where the crime occurred.

Related Stories: Oklahoma Crime News, Indian Country Crime, Murder and Firearms

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edok/pr/fort-towson-resident-sentenced-murder