Hate Crimes: August 2003 Archives

I came accross this article from The Courier-Journal in Kentucky. It's about a man who was killed after allegedly making a pass at his killer. If that were a capital offence I know a lot of people who would be dead now. The victim apparently knew his killer, which is probably why he went to the hotel room to begin with. Just goes to show you that you may never fully know people as well as you think you do.

HARDINSBURG, Ky. — A man police have charged with the murder of a Rineyville resident, whose body was stuffed into a suitcase and thrown into Rough River Lake earlier this summer, admitted he killed the man because he dislikes homosexuals, his relatives said in statements to Kentucky State Police.

Josh Cottrell's aunt and cousin told police that Cottrell told them he had planned to kill Guinn "Richie" Phillips because Phillips was gay. Relatives said Cottrell strangled Phillips after Phillips made a pass at him in an Elizabethtown motel where Cottrell was staying, according to documents filed in Breckinridge Circuit Court. Phillips disappeared June 17. His body was found in a suitcase on June 25.

The body of Guinn "Richie" Phillips (left) was stuffed into a suitcase and thrown into Rough River Lake earlier this summer. He had disappeared about a week earlier.

Josh Cottrell (right) was indicted on charges of murder, robbery, tampering with physical evidence and being a persistent felon. He's being held in the Breckinridge County jail.