Man stabbed grandfather to death during argument, Gastonia police say

GASTONIA, N.C. — Police said a man has been charged with murder after stabbing his grandfather to death during an argument Wednesday morning in his Gastonia home.

The stabbing happened just before 9 a.m. at a house on Log Cabin Drive in the Smyre community.

A neighbor told Channel 9′s Gaston County bureau reporter Ken Lemon that she spoke to the victim, who she considered a friend, minutes before officers found him dead in his home.

Channel 9 was there when police took 29-year-old Christopher Phillips into custody. He has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his grandfather, 67-year-old Darrell Phillips.

Family members described Darrell Phillips as having a kind heart and loving his grandchildren. People in the neighborhood told Channel 9 they affectionately called Darrell Phillips “Pop” and considered him the “neighborhood grandfather.”

“He killed the only brother I had,” Darrell Phillips’ brother told Eyewitness News.

The investigation is ongoing and no other charges are expected.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

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