State Supreme Court reverses appeal in attempted murder case
COURTESY KITV / SEPT. 2008
Lincoln Phillips
The Hawaii Supreme Court has reversed an appellate court decision to overturn the attempted murder conviction of a 43-year-old former Schofield Barracks soldier accused of beating his wife with a hammer.
On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a written decision reversing a Aug. 30, 2013 state appeals court ruling that overturned the conviction of former Sgt. 1st Class Lincoln Phillips who was charged with beating his wife Tara Phillips, 38, at their Ewa Beach home in September 2008. She suffered severe head and brain injuries and died about a year and half later at a Florida hospital.
The appeals court held that a hammer that was found in the garage and supposedly used in the beating should not have been admitted in the trial. The majority held that Circuit Judge Karen Ahn erred in not suppressing the hammer that was seized by police without a warrant.
However, the state Supreme Court found that the hammer and clothing with traces of the victim’s blood on both items were recovered by police following proper procedures.
Lincoln Phillips was sentenced to life with possibility of parole for the attempted murder conviction.
10 responses to “State Supreme Court reverses appeal in attempted murder case”
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YOU mean Ahn actually did something right?
Finally common sense prevails in the substandard courts out here
This gives one hope.
I wonder if he’ll be charged with murder now that his victim died? Or is that too much to ask? A better punishment for this lowlife would for him to be sent to Iraq and have his limbs blown off by an IED.
Who dah, such a and what a. our justice system is too costly.
Wow, I am impressed that they did the right thing.
Lock em up… throw away the key.
This “man” is a violent danger to society and should never be free again!
Funny he does not look like he comprehends that his life is pretty much over.
Donald Trump probably thinks this guy is a hero, because he succeeded in killing a woman. John McCain, who survived 5 years as a POW, and all the combat veterans who get PTSD are not heroes, according to Trump. But this insane murderer is a hero, yeah.