Gastonia man pleads guilty to fatally stabbing grandfather during argument

GASTONIA, N.C. — Channel 9’s Ken Lemon had the only camera in court Monday as family members cried and tried to make sense of the murder of their family’s rock.

So many members of the Phillips family had their lives changed in September of 2020.

On Monday Christopher Phillips faced a judge, charged with killing his own grandfather who was like a father to him. Even with a murder plea, none of them are sure why this ever happened.

There was so much grief, still so many questions, but one thing was certain for Christopher and his family.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man stabbed grandfather to death during argument, Gastonia police say

“Are you indeed guilty?” The judge asked Christopher Monday.

“Yes,” he said.

Christopher’s parents died when he was young. His biological grandfather Darrell Phillips adopted him so that he would always have a dad and a home with Darrell in Gastonia.

On Sep. 2, 2020, police say Christopher was apparently on drugs when he made strange calls to 911.

“Talking about the KKK and people trying to break into his house,” said Chiege O. Kalu Okwara, defense attorney.

He made other calls then walked into Darrell’s bedroom where he was on the phone with his sister. She suddenly heard a fight and her brother’s voice.

“The victim is saying, ‘he is stabbing me,’” said prosecutor Stephanie Hamlin.

That sister called 911. Christopher waited for police to arrive. Six years later, Darrell’s niece is still devasted.

“She grew up with Christopher Phillips like siblings, but she lost her grandfather and has an aunt still tormented by the murder she heard,” said Ashley Phillips-Thornburg. “To this day, we still don’t know why.”

Christopher’s attorney said he was diagnosed with mental illness, but the experts who evaluated him said that doesn’t excuse murder.

“I take full accountability for my actions and I want to ask if my family, if they can find it in their hearts to forgive me,” Christopher said in court Monday.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, with a stipulation that he took advantage of trusted family ties to commit murder. He was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison.

Christopher has already severed six years waiting for trial.

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