14 DAY TRIAL // A man from Ludington is accused of killing his own daughter. The case, known in the press as the "Baby Kate" disappearance, has been open since 2011.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola have announced that they will be prosecuting "Baby Kate"'s father, Sean Phillips, in the child's murder.
"Unfortunately, Baby Kate would not be found because she was murdered by Sean Phillips," Schuette states.
Katherine Phillips went missing on June 29, 2011 and her father has already been tried and convicted on unlawful imprisonment.
"All this evidence will come out at trial and it will be full and complete. It was an exhaustive investigation, thorough and complete, which is the hallmark of our judicial system," he adds.
A sentence for a maximum of 10 years served in jail was handed out in August 2012, WOOD reported, but Phillips is appealing the decision.
The prosecutor has revealed that new information has come to light in the case.
"We have a number of high-profile cases in this county lately, including the recent murder of Trooper Paul Butterfield, as well as a number of other serious cases, which have forced me to look outside my office for assistance," Spaniola notes.
Kate Phillips was last seen by her mother, Ariel Courtland, when she was taken by her father after the pair had a fight.
A local news station brought out a letter allegedly written by the baby's father to Courtland. He admitted to accidentally killing the child and laying her remains to rest in a "peaceful place."
"[Baby Kate] was the innocent victim of a terrible crime, at the hands of her father no less. [...] It’s a tragic crime, and it makes me sick.
"Victims of crime should never, never be forgotten and today we are not forgetting Baby Kate," Schuette comments.