Latest / Minor Mischief Podcast / The Tragedy of Maddie Clifton

Transcript

The Tragedy of Maddie Clifton · Minor Mischief Podcast

• Kiki George: What happens when a seemingly innocent playdate turns deadly? Could it possibly have been from fear or something far worse? This is Minor Mischief Podcast and this is the story of Joshua Phillips and Maddie Clifton. Y'all, come on in for this week's story time. I wanted to take just a quick minute since this is our very first episode. Hooray! I finally, finally, finally recorded it. You guys have no idea how long this idea has been in the back of my brain. So I'm just a little bit proud of myself for finally bringing it to fruition. But since this is our very first episode, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. so I go by the name Kiana Amira, and true crime is really my jam. If ever like you want to know like what true crime shows to watch, like which ones will really have you, you know, laughing, not laughing. I don't want to say laughing. I'm sorry. True crime is not a laughing matter. But you know, some people tell stories better than others. true crime is my thing. I just am always interested in getting into the minds of people. and that's just what I like to do in my spare time. So because of that, I wanted to create a space to talk about the true crime stories involving minors and give a little insight as to why they thought that committing crime was the way. I want to set a disclaimer, I'm in no way a professional psychiatrist or psychologist, just someone who truly has a heart for children and I really desire to tell their stories. I figured this way we can all learn to kind of check for the warning signs, pay attention to the children in our lives and around us, and possibly intervene before a tragedy strikes. I believe it really takes a village. It really takes a village, man. as far as today's episode, I really do want to give a little trigger warning. This episode does involve the death of a minor, and this story is a little heavy. All of the stories that I cover won't be like this, but I wanted to make this my first case because number one, I lived fairly close to the area that this happened in. And this I had never heard of this story in my life. and I was just very Fascinated and intrigued with this case, and even, you know, continue to follow it as far as what's going on with it to this day. so without further ado, let's get into it. So this story involves two main characters: Joshua Phillips, who is our mischief maker, and Maddie Clifton, who is our victim. Joshua Earl Patrick Phillips was born on March 17th, 1984, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to his parents Steve and Melissa Phillips. Why do I feel like I know someone with this birthday? I don't know, guys. I'm so sorry. I have like ADD or something. Please forgive me. so his father, Steve, was rumored to be an alcoholic and a drug addict. And he also was very strict with a very nasty temper. Melissa, who is his wife slash Joshua's mom, and some reports I read also mentioned that he had a disdain for little girls, which I'm gonna circle back on in my final thoughts when I do my final thoughts at the end of the show. I figured like, remember watching the Jerry Springer show, how he would do like a little final thought segment, like after all the chaos that went on in his show, he'll say, Final thoughts. And I'm I'm gonna do that too, just cause if it's good for Jerry, you know, it's good. I am not sure the circumstances surrounding this, but when Josh Joshua was young, they packed up and moved from Allentown, Pennsylvania to Jacksonville, Florida. And I feel like if you're gonna say Jacksonville, Florida, you have to say Sorry if that was a little loud. I'm from New York, but I moved to Daytona Beach, Florida to go to college. And when I tell you the students from Jacksonville roll deep, I have never seen anything like it. Like you mentioned Jacksonville and they were ready to Duval every time. I'm sorry. We're getting back on track now. So I'm not exactly sure what the family dynamic was. I looked in to see if Steve and Melissa had other children. I couldn't find any other biological children of Steve and Melissa together, but I did find an interview by a man that goes by the name of Daniel Phillips. He is 11 years older than Joshua, and he says that he's Joshua's half-brother. so I'm assuming that Joshua, I mean, excuse me, I'm assuming that Daniel is Steve's son. Because he didn't move to Jacksonville with the rest of the family. Not that that means anything. He could be Melissa's child, but because his last name is Phillips, I'm gonna go ahead and take a stab in the dark and say that he is Steve's son. in the article that I read where Daniel was kind of talking about the case, he said that he feels as though this story would have gone very differently had the family just stayed in Pennsylvania. I also saw that Joshua has another half brother named Benji, but I didn't see any more information on Benji, just the article that Daniel kind of collaborated on. and then I also couldn't find anything contrary to Joshua being the only kid living in the house at the time. So they packed up and moved from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they settled in the Lakewood neighborhood on the south side of Jacksonville, 6139 Fleetwood Street, to be exact. Now Joshua. Who I'm going to refer to as Josh going forward. And I really hope that's okay. only because some people don't like going by like nicknames. Like some people like to be called their full name, but for all intents and purposes, he is going to be Josh in this story. so Josh was described as a fun and silly kid who was pleasant to be around, never got into any trouble. his teacher said he was a great kid. He was fun, funny, you know, just your average teenage boy. Now, Maddie, I wasn't able to find a ton of information on Maddie. I feel like her information kind of got overshadowed by the events of this story, which is super sad because, in my opinion, Maddie is the real rock star here. But she was born Madeline Ray Clifton on June 17th, 1990. and I would have loved to know more about her. I did see, and I'm gonna assume that her favorite color is purple, because Some of the photos I saw, you know, while they were searching for Maddie, which I'll get into a little bit later, they had purple ribbons in her honor. I do know that her parents' names are Steve and Sheila, which, and I hope I'm not derailing too much here, but you would not believe how long it took me to notice that her dad's name is Steve because Joshua's dad is also Steve. So whenever I would read Steve, I would think that they were talking about the same person, and baby, they were not talking about the same person. So then I had to go back and reread everything because I thought there was only one Steve in the story. But Steve Clifton is Maddie's father, and Steve Phillips is Josh's father. Maddie also had an older sister named Jessie, who says that Maddie went by the nickname Giggles, which I love that nickname. Not even gonna lie, I'd be like, hey giggles, hey girl. and I also could gather that she played sports, she played basketball at the YMCA. and then she reportedly had a zest for life, was always rooting for the underdog, had a heart for people, and was tough as nails. She was kind of described as kind of like a princess rock star. Like she had her soft girly side, you know, with the the bubblegum and the unicorn and all the glitter and things. And then at the same point in time, like Maddie will get your tail together. Okay. Don't play with Maddie, 'cause she would for sure get you together. So that is what I could gather on Maddie. So we're gonna hop back in time to November 3rd, 1998, which is when this story begins. it's a school day, it's after school. Josh is home alone doing what teenage boys do, home alone. And Maddie came home from school about 4 30 p.m. Now she did play the piano, so it was said that she got home around 4 30. She kind of practiced the piano for a little bit and then she was just like, All right, mom, I am bored. I have had my snack. I have twiddled my little fingers on these piano keys and now I'm ready to go outside. Which is what nineties kids did. Like we we really used to be out there. Like we were out far and it was just like, Hey, be home by this time, be home by the streetlights. And you know, I feel like today's kids could never, like they would probably get lost in their own neighborhoods. I'm not even gonna hold you. But anyway, so Maddie went home, she practiced her piano for a little bit, and then she went outside like 90s kids did. I read in a report that said that Maddie first went to the yard of her 16-year-old neighbor to see if they could play, but they either weren't home or busy. their grandmother said that she, I guess, was the one that answered the door, kind of was like, Hey, Maddie, they're not home. But then when she was questioned, she said like, I guess there was a separate instance where Maddie had come and did the same thing. Cause apparently Maddie was outside, okay? there was another instance where Maddie came over and did the same thing and she could kind of see Josh like creeping up l on Maddie to play with her. But I mean, they she said that it kind of made her feel uneasy, but she kind of observed them for a few moments and nothing inappropriate in her opinion ever happened. She said they just kind of appeared To be like two kids playing, even though there was such a large age difference. I listened to the Morbid podcast as part of my research for this particular case. And in that podcast, they mentioned that Maddie, I guess after going to her 16-year-old neighbors, went and pitched golf course with like golf course, Jesus help. she went and pitched golf balls with an older gentleman in the neighborhood, and his name was Larry Grisham. And so Maddie, I guess, was just the kid in the neighborhood who kind of knew everybody, would hang out with people of various ages. and so she did end up pitching golf balls with Larry, and then after a while, went over to Josh's house to see if he could play outside. So Maddie is at Josh's house, knocking on the door, like, hey Josh, you know, you want to come outside, you wanna play? And Josh is like, Girl, no, I cannot play. My parents aren't home. I am home alone. I am not allowed to first of all, even be playing with you like that. Because apparently there had been some instances. you know, Josh is an older kid. He's fourteen. And Maddie and her sister Jesse. Jesse was eleven at the time and Maddie was eight. And so there were some instances that happened just in the time that they lived close to each other where Josh would kinda talk to the girls about like sex and just things that he would know. And they obviously at their age were not ready for those types of conversations. So there was a little friction there. But Eventually, the families did work it out to where they kind of started playing again, but in a way of like, watch your child before I have to watch him type of thing. but they they they became cordial at some point after that. so Maddie's at Josh's house. She's begging like Josh, I don't have nobody to play with. I done pitched golf balls with this old man. I went over to this other neighbor, like, can you please play with me? And Josh said that he was like, Girl, no. But eventually, you know, as persistent eight-year-old girls do, she got him to agree. so he went outside with her. They played a game of baseball, and apparently Josh hit the ball, and the ball smacked Maddie right above her left eye. And what's Maddie gonna do as an eight-year-old girl that just got smacked in her right above her left eye with a baseball? She's gonna crash the hell out. And that's exactly. What Maddie did. She is doing the screaming, the crying, the flailing. She's freaking out. She's doing all the things. And Josh is panicking because he's like, Not only was I not supposed to play with you, now I played with you and I hurt you. And this is just not gonna be good for either one of us. So he said, like he hit her in the head with the baseball bat to kind of knock her out. So she'd hush and then dragged her into the house, which Josh. What part of you thought that was a good idea? So Maddie is still freaking out. Because not only did you hit me, but now you're dragging me into your house. And Josh said that he just knew that his father, like, would come home and give him the business. So and he was due to be home and pulling in the driveway soon. So Josh took matters into his own hands and he hit her with the baseball bat two more times and stuck her. underneath the base of his bed. Now, here's the creepy part. Here's what just like kind of, well, this isn't even the part that sent me into a complete tizzy, but Josh's parents came home and he interacted with them as if he had not just knocked this little girl out and hit her under his bed. They said he acted completely normal when they came home. Like it was just like, hey mom, hey dad, what's like, what's for dinner? I'm not saying that's was like the actual conversation, but that's how I saw it going in my head. and as he's out kind of like interacting with his parents, he hears Maddie like moaning in his room because she's she's hurt. She's like, Hello, like, are you trying to kill me? So he took a moment, slipped away, and as he was hearing Maddie like making noise under his bed, he went back into his room. And this is where I'm gonna take a beat to say if you are sensitive or This is a trigger warning. You may want to skip ahead about 30 seconds to a minute. and I'll give you the time to do so now. So for those that are sticking around, Josh is hearing Maddie under his bed, like moaning and just like making noise. So he slipped back into his room, removed the banister of his bed. Is that what that's called? A bed post, banister, rails? I'm not sure. Please forgive me. But He removed it and he slit her throat and he stabbed her in the chest seven times with the knife from a met a leatherman tool and stuffed her back under the bed, put the bedpost back up, and went on about his life. Now, back across the street, Miss Sheila's cooking dinner, probably a little shake and bake, little scalloped potatoes, little broccoli. What else did we eat in the nineties? She's back across the street cooking dinner, and she knows without the shadow of a doubt that when dinner is cooked. getting ready to be done, both of her daughters are gonna make their way right back in that house and they're gonna have dinner as a family. So Jessie comes in, washes her hands, gets herself together for dinner, and Maddie never comes. And Sheila's like, this is strange because Maddie is always, no matter where she goes, if she's riding her bike, if she's pitching golf balls, if she has gone across town, Maddie always comes back to dinner on time. So when she didn't return home, Sheila goes outside and she's like, Maddie, you know, hey girl, where are you? Like, has anyone seen my child? Maddie should be home by now. Like, I know Maddie's schedule, and Maddie is always home at this time. So she's outside, she's calling for Maddie, and she hears nothing, sees nothing. The street is as quiet as Kingdom Come. Like she hears nothing. And then I guess mom's intuition She felt in her spirit that something was completely wrong and she searched no further and immediately called the police. She's a white female. She got on a red t-shirt and red on his four. And she placed that call to the police about 6 33 PM. So the police come to the Clifton household and they're, you know, asking Sheila, like, hey, when was the last time you saw her? Has she been with anyone? They're questioning people because now, you know, naturally the police are outside. So, hey, this is a fairly tight-knit community. What's going on? So everyone's kind of making their way outside, trying to figure out what's going on. and then they form a search party naturally. so the police, along with Maddie's family and just other parents and children in the neighborhood, start searching for Maddie throughout the neighborhood and the surrounding areas, and there was no sign of Maddie anywhere. Meanwhile, Josh, yes, y'all, the same Josh that knows exactly where Maddie is, he was with the search party. Him and his parents are out looking for Maddie as if he don't know that Maddie is right under his bed. Which Josh, for real, I I j I don't understand that. I just but it was reported that Josh, you know, was in the search party searching and looking everywhere with everyone else and he was acting completely normal the entire time. Like no one had any idea that Josh had something to do with Maddie's disappearance. they said it did look like he had just taken a shower, but that's not strange because it's after dinner. On a school night, you know, I would hope that he would have taken a shower. so the search for Maddie went on for about a week. the community really rallied together to get Maddie's name and picture out there. As I was doing research on the story, I saw like pictures even as far as Gainesville, Tampa, you know, people all around Florida had really rallied together to try to figure out exactly what had happened to Maddie because again, there was absolutely no trace of her. I heard that e the Jacksonville Jaguars had a game that Sunday and they wore ribbons on their jerseys to bring awareness to Maddie's case. I just couldn't find any pictures or proof or a news story stating that this happened, but I did hear that on another source. a reward that grew to about $100,000 was offered for anyone with information related to Maddie's whereabouts. So now it's November 10th, 1998, exactly one week since Maddie was seen last. And we're going back across the street to Josh's house. So Melissa is in there. And as a parent, I'm assuming Melissa is pacing back and forth, cussing under her breath, fuming, because she has talked to Josh about the state of his room one too many times. She is fed up and she's just like, you know what? I'm taking matters into my own hands, which I have a teenage son, I understand. He has gotten better. But when I tell you teenage boy room, there should be a case study. On teenage boy room. But like I said, thank God my son has gotten better. But I completely like Melissa, I get it. I get what you were going through. Cause there have been many a day where I am standing outside that room, like, boy, if you don't get this room together, you will start living outside. This makes no sense. so Melissa's fuming, pacing, aggravated as moms get when they have talked to their child one too many times about cleaning their rooms. And so she decides that, you know what, I'm about to take matters into my own hands. So she goes into Josh's room, starts cleaning up, and she notices a wet spot on the floor by his bed. And Josh had a waterbed. So in Melissa's mind, she's like, this freaking waterbed is leaking. That is what is causing this god awful odor in this room. The carpet's wet. It's probably molding and mildewing. I have dealt with Josh on this so many times. Like I'm about to freaking lose it. That boy's about to be in so much trouble when he gets home. So she goes into Josh's room. She's cleaning up, she sees the wet spot, she's like, damn it, this freaking waterbed must be leaking again. So she moves the bedpost now, and she is like feeling around under the bed, and she feels something that's like cold and feels kind of like a foot. And so Melissa is not like the woman in the scary movies, y'all. She was not investigating a damn thing. She got the hell out of that house and ran outside in a frenzy. police officers were still actively in the neighborhood because they're still trying to piece together exactly what happened to Maddie and they're not getting anywhere. Like they even questioned the guy that the older gentleman that she was playing golf balls with. but he had a rock solid alibi. So they, you know, they didn't have anything further to go down to as far as that path. But they're still in the neighborhood trying to figure out like Where is Maddie? What happened to her? Like, how does this eight-year-old girl just vanish into thin air and no one has seen her? So Melissa runs outside in a frenzy and she is like, Y'all need to come in my house quick. Y'all need to see this. There's something going on in my house. There's something under my son's bed. I need you to come inside. So the police are just like, geez, like at first they're like not really thinking anything of it. They're like, okay, well, I mean, this has to be unrelated. What's under his bed? But they walk. back into the Phillips house with Melissa and they said that when they looked where she had felt whatever she felt, they saw two small feet with white socks sticking out from the bottom of Josh's waterbed, along with some sort of strange liquid and tape on the floor. Now they said that room smelled god awful. Like it stank like the worst smell they have ever smelled. And they immediately sealed Josh's room off as a crime scene. So when Josh's room was searched, police found several types of air freshener. I mean, my dude had the Febreze, the Glade, the Airwick, he had Lysol, Clorox. He had everything that he could to try to get that room to stop smelling like it was smelling. Which brings me to, baby, what was your plan? What was your plan? Did you just think that you were gonna stick air freshener in there and hope that. She would stop smelling. Like I just and I'm not trying to be insensitive, but like genuinely, Josh, what was your plan? And I ask myself that a lot in some of these murder cases, like, they put her, they buried her in the backyard. Baby, what was your plan? You didn't think anybody would find that body in the backyard? I I just I don't know. Anyway. So they found several types of air fresheners, rolls of tape, a baseball bat that was hidden behind his dresser, and a leather man knife tool. Maddie's body was found under his waterbed with her shirt pulled up and her panties and her pants rolled beneath her. so when I was like conducting research on this case, there was a drawing of how Maddie was kind of positioned under the bed and I just that was really hard. That that was really hard, I have to admit, like she didn't deserve that. Maddie was reported to have suffered three separate attacks. She was struck three times on her forehead and the top of her head. She had neck wounds and nine stab wounds to her chest and abdomen that were reportedly inflicted after she had already, you know, passed. They also found specks of blood on the ceiling fan in Josh's room, which later proved to be Maddie's. And the most heartbreaking part for me, aside from the drawing, was when Maddie's body went for autopsy, there was a bracket from Josh's bed in her hand. I believe they said it was her right hand. And so that kind of showed that she was fighting for her life the entire time she was under that bed, up until her last moment. She was fighting to get out of that, you know, under that bed and out of the house. But she just, you know. didn't have the strength or wasn't able to. and that just is it's truly heartbreaking. Like I said, nobody deserves that, but an eight-year-old girl who literally was just out trying to play with some friends, like this should not have happened. It shouldn't have. And I don't think anyone truly is to blame but Josh because he is the one that made the decision. I do feel like Josh's father. I'll get into that a little bit later, but I do feel like some of the things that he probably because remember, it was reported that he just hated little girls. Like little girls were not his tee and he hated everything about them. He hated their little bowls, he hated their little berettes. Now I don't know Josh Phillips per I mean, not Josh Phillips, excuse me. I don't know Steve Phillips personally. So I can't speak to his character. I can only speak to what I read, but just based on the things I read about him, like he didn't really go to hell in my opinion. But Anyway, so the police after finding all of this at Josh's house went right over to Josh's school and picked his little ass right up. they said he went without a fight and he was fairly cooperative. At the police station, Josh fully confessed to killing Maddie. He said that he was so afraid that his father would find out because remember he was abusive. and I'm not making excuses for Josh in any way. I'm just trying to rationalize like as a kid. And I'm Like I said, I'm not making excuses for Josh. I don't think what he did is right, but I could see like that fear. He was just like, My father's gonna kill me, so I gotta do something. Of course, he made the absolute wrong decision. but they said he went without a fight. He was fairly cooperative and he fully confessed to killing Maddie, like as soon as he was questioned. he said that he was so afraid his father would find out that they were playing and he didn't want to get into any trouble because he was very afraid. so you know, he felt like that would be the best thing to do. And one of the reports I read said, because they had been questioning people in the neighborhood that entire week, and one of the police officers said, and I wish I had written his name down in my notes, but I didn't. He said that he interviewed Josh in his room, and Josh sat on the bed. And they were talking just as hey, have you seen anything? I know you guys were friends, like all this kind of stuff. And Josh is on the bed with straight answers, like, no, I haven't seen her. Like, yeah, we play and da da da. But and I'm like, Josh, seriously? And he slept on that bed all week. If I was Melissa, my God. You have me sleeping in the in the house with the Josh. Seriously? dear. so yeah, they just said that Josh literally acted no different, which to me, I'm like, if that's not a psycho, I don't know what is. Like, there were no signs, no signs from anybody. His teachers said they didn't notice anything different, his parents hadn't noticed anything different except for the state of his room. The neighbors hadn't noticed anything different. Like Josh was really just being Josh, and I just cannot fathom, like, because for me, God forbid, if I'm Carrying like a secret of that magnitude, baby, I would be sweating bullets. You would immediately know. Like, you would immediately know something was wrong. Somebody would ask me, like, hey, do you know anything about and I would crack immediately. That's why I tell people, like, if y'all are gonna commit a crime, please don't do it around me because I have no poker face. And you will get caught just based off of me bursting into tears as soon as the police ask me a question. So please. I don't know how Josh did it, but that is deeply. Deeply alarming. Maddie's funeral was held on November 15th, 1998 at the San Jose Catholic Church. The news article that I read from the Tampa Bay Times said that there were over 1,200 guests in attendance. Like the community really rallied around Maddie. The entire procession route was lined with pictures of her and flowers and toys and everything. The Reverend Tony Palazzo stated, quote, Maddie has done what no politician has ever done. She has united us out of love for God and love for one another. Even though Maddie is no longer physically in our midst, I believe God has given her back to us as the angel of Jacksonville as the spirit of love. Josh's trial started on July 6th, 1999, because you they sat his little butt in jail from November 10th, 1998 to July 6th, 1999, as they do. and if anyone knows, like can anyone tell me why trials take this long? is it like gathering evidence? Like, I just I I really have questions. So if you know, like if you're a lawyer or a paralegal or you're someone that's just like, hey, they take this long for this reason, please let me know in the comments because I genuinely am curious why it takes that long. Is it like a booking thing? I I just really do wonder. so his trial started on July 6, 1999 and lasted a whopping two days. His trial was actually moved from Duvall County to Polk County just due to the publicity of the case in and around Jacksonville. I have no idea where Polk County is. If anyone knows, please let me know. I was just, after reading all of this, I was like, I'm just not looking up where Polk County is. I'm sorry. Josh's defense lawyer was a gentleman by the name of Richard Nichols. according to Josh, he was never really asked by his lawyer about the events of November 3rd, 1998. He said instead it felt like he would just like a visitor, like someone that kind of came to watch him for a couple hours. They played chess, they talked about school. they talked about all the things like a big brother relationship, but they never talked about what happened. They never talked about the case. He never asked Josh about Maddie. Nothing. his mom, Melissa, apparently did not like attorney Nichols. Like, I don't know if she just hated the ground that man walked on, but it the report stated that she did not care for him because she didn't feel like he was doing a good job. But his father just insisted on like, hey, just let the lawyer be a lawyer. I'm not totally sure why that happened. I don't know if he figured that he was just he knew what he was doing as a lawyer or if he felt like Josh deserved whatever was coming to him at this point because of the heinousness of the crime. but I just know that Melissa was actively trying to figure out how to help Josh. And Steve was kind of withdrawn and like, just let just let Attorney Nichols do his thing. Like he's good. The defense called zero. Witnesses. they did, however, try to introduce some scans that were done of Josh's brain that showed bilateral lesions on the frontal lobe, which is indicative of panic and impaired judgment. So they basically presented that as evidence to state that Josh freaked out. Like this was in no way planned. He just was super afraid. He freaked out. and that's what led to this horrific event. The prosecution wasn't going for none of that, however. They instead chose to focus on pornographic imagery that was found on Josh's computer and some stories that Jesse and the Clifton family told it just about some inappropriate behavior that Josh exhibited over the years, which also like the question that they were trying to get answered is why were Maddie's clothes not fully on her body? Josh said it was because he dragged her into the house. but they said that if you dragged her into the house, there would have been dirt on her bottom or something. Like she was completely clean. Now they did do like a rape kit on Maddie and they found nothing. they did say that Josh did have some semen in his pants, but it was proven that he was watching porn like right before Maddie came over. So i I mean, it can go either way. The problem with the porn that Josh was watching though is that the imagery on it was very, very, very violent in nature. because at first when I heard it, I was just like, okay, he was watching porn. He's a 14-year-old boy. But then as they kind of went into describing the porn that he was watching, I was like, that's kind of like that's not okay. so they thought that the violent like imagery in the porn probably led to what happened to Maddie, but they couldn't really prove it. So the judge ruled both pieces of evidence as inadmissible and then Josh was not allowed to testify in his own defense. In an article I read by CBS News, he was asked what he would say to Maddie's family if given the chance, and he said, quote, I'd beg for forgiveness. That's all I could say. There's nothing else I could say. I guess I'd say I'm sorry, but I know that wouldn't be enough. Unquote. So the jury deliberated for a little over two hours and Josh was convicted of first degree murder. Because of the nature of a crime, Josh was tried as an adult and not a minor. And according to Florida law, first degree murder is punishable one or two ways death or life in prison without parole. I will say this. I lived in Florida for 14 years and I promise you, Florida is not the place you want to be convicted of a crime. They will throw the freaking book at you, especially for murder. Especially for murder. You're being sentenced to death or well, first degree murder, I will say, but you're gonna be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. And in the case of of Josh Phillips, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. An online obituary that I found for Maddie reads, In the years following Maddie's death, her memory has been kept alive in various ways. A memorial playground was erected at her school, San Jose Catholic School, a place where children can play and laugh, a fitting tribute to a girl who herself loved to play and bring joy to those around her. Additionally, her mother carries a rosary, a gift from a woman in Texas, and Maddie's pink coin purse, a symbolic gesture of keeping Maddie close to her heart. Maddie's story, though marked by tragedy, is also a story of love, community, and resilience. It is a reminder of the preciousness of life and the impact a single life can have on so many. As we remember Maddie, we honor her spirit, her joy, and the love she brought to the world in her short eight years. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of those who knew her and in the collective memory of a community that came together in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Since being in prison, Josh has completed his GED and works as a paralegal. He assists other inmates with their appeals and works as a tutor. He plays guitar and attends church regularly. And reports say that at his 2017 appeal, the staff at the prison admitted that Josh has been a model inmate. In addition to his 2017 appeal, Josh has filed for multiple appeals, especially after the Miller versus Alabama 2012 suppression. Supreme Court ruling that found life sentences for minors to be unconstitutional. So he did go back and you know, he did go back to court, and then he at that time he was resentenced to another 25 years in prison. Which this is not funny. So please don't take what I'm about to say any type of way. But baby, I would be punching air if I was Josh. You mean to tell me the Supreme Court ruled that you cannot legally charge me. Because I was 14 years old at the time of a crime. So I cannot serve life in prison. But y'all double down and give me another 25 years. Baby, I'll be punching air. But truth be told, I just for Maddie's family, I know that, you know, they don't want him out. I mean, who would? Because Maddie was not given the chance to grow up. Have a family, get married if she wanted to, have kids if she wanted to. She didn't get a chance to go to college if she wanted to. So I'm sorry, Josh, but you know, you you have to deal with the consequences of your action. And you have to hold yourself accountable. because no matter what, you never want to see someone who is guilty of harming your loved ones roaming free. I don't care who you are. Like forgiveness is essential, of course, but you're always gonna want them to face the consequences of their actions. Josh's most recent appeal was in 2025. It was actually in June 2025, so just a couple months ago, where Josh faced the judge again to overturn his sentence. Maddie's sister Jessie read a victim impact statement at the hearing. And there's a quote from her in the article I read that says, quote, This time I'm really going to sit down and I'm going to take my time and write something that's going to hopefully make him feel. I mean, I guess that's not the goal really, to make him feel bad. That's not my intention. But I want him to see how bad I'm hurting and I that I don't really care that he's hurting or that he wants to get out of jail. So because my hurt is forever, his should be also. Which baby I have to be honest, Jesse kinda she kinda ate with that one. And it's the truth. They don't get Maddie back. She doesn't get the chance to live. And so they feel like Josh shouldn't get the chance to live, regardless of his age or the circumstances surrounding what happened. Because at any point, Josh could have really just taken Maddie back across the street and say, Hey, I'm sorry I hit her with this baseball. If that is what happened. And please accept my apology. I know that you're gonna talk to my parents about it and I'll just deal with the consequences. I that really would have been the best way to go. I mean, his dad probably would have worn him out, but Maddie would have still been alive and he may he probably would have survived that, you know, that whooping he got. anyway, so Joshua is now 41 and is continuing to serve his life sentence at Cross City Correctional Institution. how are the families, you might ask? Naturally, the Cliftons and the Phillips completely stopped speaking after the murder. Sheila Clifton eventually moved out of the family home, and she and Steve got a divorce three years after Maddie's murder. she said she just felt like she was living with a ghost and it was hard to assimilate to life without Maddie, especially being in that house. Things like setting out dinner plates in groups of three instead of groups of four. the holidays, hanging up three stockings instead of four, things like that, just she just could not deal with it. So she had to get out of the house. But Steve felt like he didn't want to leave Mad Maddie's memory behind. He always wanted to be close to her. And so he and Jesse actually remained in the house after the divorce. Steve Phillips died tragically in a car accident outside of Tallahassee a year after Josh's first sentencing. When he was fifteen. This happened in June June of 2000. I don't know if y'all could tell. I just did not care for Steve Phillips. I just I did not care for Steve Phillips and just the things I read about him. I just did not care for Steve Phillips. and as far as Melissa Phillips, she is still advocating for Josh's release. She is trying to find, you know, help him still file appeals and do all of those great things. for her son. So my final thoughts on this case. I think I shared quite a few of them actually as I was going because I could not hold it in. But I feel like Josh, there were so many other things that you could have done. And I do want to back that up by saying that I don't know what the dynamic was like. I just know what I read said that Steve Phillips was an abusive drunk. He really wasn't going for none of that as far as Josh is concerned. Like he was just an like not a great husband to Melissa and not a great father to Josh. He was abusive. He was an alcoholic. He parlayed in the little drugs here and there. and so I do understand how that could affect the child. And I do understand how just his disdain for little girls, you know, hearing that over and over and over again. Because we have to understand that the things that we say and do in front of our children, even though we're not telling them like, hey, do what I do. But they're just like, okay, well my parent does this and that should be okay. and I'll even speak on myself a little bit. I know that I have habits that you know my kids probably observe that aren't the best. Like I say the word ass a little too much, and my kids will tell you, they're like, yeah, that's my mom's favorite word. Like, I don't curse a whole lot, but ass is my favorite word. It just really is. Because there's nothing like saying, like, bring yourself over here. It does not bring hold the same way as bring your ass. Over here. That's just my opinion. But I also know that if my kids go out into the world saying the word ass in every sentence, then you know it's my fault. so I do understand from that standpoint. I just feel like as a human being, just even with hearing her trying to get out from under the bed, at any point, he had the chance to stop, he had the chance to say. I did this. And then what was even more alarming was the fact that he literally went about his life. He got interviewed by the police sitting on that bed. He went to school acting the same. He searched for Maddie with her family. Like, Josh, at that point, you get whatever's coming to you. And I understand that you're just like, I was a kid and I'm not that person. And literally everybody around Josh said that he was a good person. He was fun loving. He was a normal kid. He was, he, he was fine. So I could understand from that standpoint too. It's just like, okay, just because he's a model inmate, he was a model kid. So are we gonna let him out to go for Jesse now? Like, no. So I'm sorry, Josh, but you're just gonna have to sit in there. And I feel like my heart hurts also for Melissa because that's her only child. And You regardless of what your child does, you really do hope and pray that they make the best decisions that they can in life. And being a parent comes with understanding that you can't make decisions for them. All you can do is lead them. However, you know, it it hurts. I would assume, I would say. Because I know for me, whenever my kids do anything that would get them in trouble or is just like, I'm like, I know good and damn well I taught you better than that. It hurts because I'm just like, did I fail somewhere? So I know Melissa is hurting, but at the same point in time, I know Maddie's family is hurting. Because she can at least go see her son. You know, granted, he's never gonna spend the night at her house. He is never going to be free unless he, you know, wins one of these appeals. But he the way it's looking, they are not trying to let him out. And I feel like for Maddie's family, they continue to show up and they continue to advocate for Maddie, even, you know, s what's it? Is it 27 years later? my gosh, 1998 was 27 years ago. yeah, I could understand her family just saying, like, we don't get Maddie back, you don't get Josh back. So it's truly just a tragedy overall. But I just truly do believe in taking accountability. and dealing with the consequences of your actions and Josh, you just I'm sorry, you have to eat that one because what was done to Maddie was heinous, it was uncalled for, it was out of line. And she truly did not deserve that. She just didn't. And no amount Now listen, I understand being afraid of your parent. Because my mom was a pretty average mom, but I knew not to play with Barbara. So I get it. There was a lot that I was hiding and I was just like, I'm not about to get in trouble with Barbara, but murder never crossed my mind. So Josh is going to continue to stay at the Cross City Correctional Institution. And I do pray healing for Maddie's family. I know that even though it's been twenty seven years, it it's it doesn't get easier. You know, you just kind of go forth and everyone else is moving on with their lives. So you do the best that you can, but it doesn't get easier and they're gonna miss her forever. So R.I.P. Maddie, your family loves you very much. And I do pray that I I do pray that they have gone to therapy and are at least taking, you know, or took the steps to there's no way to move past it but to just try to live a healthy life. So that is the end of the show, guys. Please, please, please, please, please, if you can leave a review, comment on what you liked, disliked, anything that you want to see, any cases that you want to see. I did actually create an email for this podcast, and that is minor mischiefpodcast at gmail.com. If you have any stories that you would like to see featured on this show. I have just been a researching fool lately, so I would love to look into those. Leave a comment, tell a friend to tell a friend. I did create a TikTok. I think it's minor mischief podcast on TikTok. TikTok. Jeez, help. On TikTok. I do believe it's minor mischief podcast on TikTok, but please guys leave reviews. Let me know what you liked, disliked, and I will try to Post a new episode every Saturday. thank you all for tuning in. I truly, truly, truly, truly, truly from the bottom of my heart appreciate it. And I will talk to you all super soon.