He claimed that he had not been jealous of her affair with Calvin Phillips as it had gotten me out of this huge mess.. You are using an out of date browser. "He was my star defense witness," Martin said. IE 11 is not supported. The indictment comes from events that occurred either on or around November 18, 2015, when Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his Pembroke home. Spencer said the allegations against the 51-year-old Martin are false. The triple murder case went cold until 2017 when the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office took over the case after talking to the Phillips family. The families and the Pembroke community have endured a profound loss, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement Wednesday night. She had a warmth about her that I think, biased as I may be, was incredibly rare," Matt Phillips said. Christian Martin. Martin said in the April 2016 interview with WSMV that he suspected Harmon had been involved in a long-term affair with Calvin Phillips. Martin and Harmon had their marriage voided about three years before the November 2015 murders, after he had learned Harmon was actually married to another man. After he heard the recommended prison sentence Thursday afternoon, Martin was led out of the Hardin County courtroom before deputies allowed him back in to give hugs and kisses to his family. Christian "Kit" Martin, 52, is. Son of slain parents on American Airlines pilot charged in 2015 triple homicide: Its just a relief. "Everyone in town knew what was going on while I was at work every day," Martin said. Martin said he considered Phillips an asset in his case. AT & T store security video concludes Joan Harmon turned in phone, Court Martial prosecutor says Calvin Phillips was set to testify against the defendant before he was murdered. Griffiths also said a laptop computer that was used by an investigator to obtain cell phone evidence was corrupted. The former pilot was found guilty on three counts of murder, two counts of 1st-degree burglary, arson, criminal attempt to commit arson, and three counts of tampering with evidence. "My private investigator went through all the allegations with him and just went down the whole line and just refuted everything. He said in an interview with WSMV in April 2016 that Calvin Phillips had a long-term affair with his ex-wife that was known to everyone in town.. I had moved on.". Martin, who has pleaded not guilty, is being held on a $3 million bond pending his June 1 trial in Elizabethtown, where the case has been moved on a change of venue. Martin is being held at the Christian County Detention Center without bond and is due to be arraigned May 22. Martin, an American Airlines pilot, was arrested Saturday at the Louisville International Airport as he was getting ready to board the plane. He was scheduled to testify before the court-martial for both Martin and the military, according to WSMV. Assistant Attorney General Barbara Whaley objected to admitting the polygraph results since they are generally inadmissible at trial. Martin had worked for PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, for slightly more than a year when he was arrested on May 11, 2019, as he prepared to fly as first officer on a flight from Louisville to Charlotte, North Carolina. Matt is Calvins son. 1 of 2. 2023 Court TV Media LLC, part of The E.W. Martin had hired private investigators to help him build a defense. Calvin Phillips was found fatally shot at his home in Pembroke, Kentucky, Attorney General Andy Beshear said Saturday. Christian Martin was arrested at Louisville Airport in connection to a 2015 triple murder case. Investigators have yet to comment on a motive in the slayings. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek the death penalty, according to court documents. While this verdict in no way eases that pain, I hope that they find some peace and comfort today.. Calvin and Pamela Phillips' son, Matt Philips, told CNN his father helped build an Army case against Martin, who had served for 30 years. Now I'm thinking jury selection starts on 6/1 changing my notes! "And the other thing he had done for me was he had gotten me out of this bigamist relationship. The pair was even looking forward to celebrating yet another anniversary, but sadly, they never got the chance. "And the other thing he had done for me was he had gotten me out of this bigamist relationship. His body was found in the cellar, the cellar doors shut and hidden by a doggie bed. But Phillips also told investigators that Harmon had never said she or her children were abused by Martin. Matt is Calvin's son. Yet he claims that after they split, Harmon accused him of rape, sodomy, child abuse, child molestation, and stealing a military computer. He was punitively dismissed from the Army, forfeited all pay and allowances and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Defense lawyer Tom Griffiths puts one of the lead investigators on the spot about his missteps in the case, specifically: Misleading grand jury testimony about cellphone evidence, Matt Phillips, son of victims Pam and Cal Phillips, gives emotional testimony describing how he learned about his parents death. Both sides deliver their closing arguments, The jury finds Martin guilty on all charges, The defendant takes the stand and denies he killed his neighbors, Martin breaks down talking about his fianc, Defense firearms expert testified the bullets that killed CP were likely not fired from the defendants Glock, A deputy who responded to the domestic call made by the defendant and Joan Harmon did not arrest Martin because he saw no evidence of violence, Defs daughter takes the witness stand to testify that her stepmother threatened to destroy her dad after he said he wanted a divorce. The families and the Pembroke community have endured a profound loss. The fiance of a commercial pilot charged in a cold-case triple murder in Kentucky is speaking out, saying he's "100 percent innocent.". That same day, he allegedly shot and killed Pamela Phillips and Dansereau with a .22 caliber firearm, according to the indictment. The Kentucky Attorney General's office took over the case in 2017 after the Phillips' son, Matt Phillips, went to then-Attorney General Andy Beshear and expressed fear that the investigation had gone cold. Works at Gipe Auto Color, Inc. October 31, 2018 - Present. Phillips said he found the computer when he was helping Harmon clear her stuff out of Martin's house. Martin was also accused of sexual assault against his ex-wife. Ex-airline pilot finally goes on trial in gruesome Kentucky triple murder, who hadtakenthe stand to defend himselfearlier, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The two have been identified as Ed Dansereau, 63, and Pamela J. Phillips, 58, both of Pembroke, according to a news release from the Christian County Sheriff's Office. As per records, Christians now-ex-wife, Joan, was supposedly having an affair with Calvin, and she also had problems with Christian. Martin, an American Airlines pilot, was arrested Saturday at the Louisville International Airport as he was getting ready to board the plane. Hilton said she and her husband have a 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter who referred to their grandfather as "Poppy," and she said the family has continued to meet with therapists to process the grief over Dansereau's death. Atkins, the judge, thanked thejurors for "doing your duty without complaint.". Military charges ended defendants career, Crime scene photos reveal position of Calvin Phillipss body. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and was discharged after 30 years of military service. You can watch our full episode, "The Evil That Watches, now. Phillips "had gotten me out of this huge mess. "My parents died for this court-martial," Matt Phillips said in 2019. RELATED: FERRIER FILES: Ex-wife of Army Major charged with triple murder breaks her silenceCalvin Phillips, Pam Phillips, and Ed Dansereau were all murdered in Pembroke, Kentucky in 2015. In an interview with CNN, Matt Phillips said his father was killed before he could testify in a court-martial trial against Martin, CBS News reported. During Friday's evidentiary hearing in Christian County Circuit Court, she testified that she and her nephew Matt were at the South Main Street home in April 2016 doing general cleaning and maintenance. "They were together all day long, and they didnt really try to hide it or anything like that.". Attorney General Beshear accepted a request to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case after he met with the family's son, Matt, nearly two years ago. Their next-door neighbor, Edward Dansereaus, charred body was also in the car with her. "My private investigator went through all the allegations with him and just went down the whole line and just refuted everything. This was an attack not only on my family but on the entire justice system.". Our hearts and prayers are with the family and friends of these victims, Cameron said. Years later, two of Cal and Pams family members, Matt and Diana, took Keith Morrison on a walkthrough of the scene at the Phillips house. The Kentucky Attorney General has announced the indictment of a man in a triple murder case from 2015. Martin and Harmon had their marriage voided about three years before the November 2015 murders, after he had learned Harmon was actually married to another man. 443 South Main Street, which belongs to Calvin & Pam Phillips. A contractor who remodeled the defendants house testified he saw Joan Harmon with a gun that looked like a Glock tucked in her waistband. The airline pilot arrested over the weekend and accused of killing three people in Kentucky in 2015 had said in an interview months later that he had no motive for the murders since one of his alleged victims was his "star defense witness" in a sexual assault court-martial he was facing. The attorney general's officetookthe death penalty off the table in the case. It was a day that would forever change a tiny southern town: November 19th, 2015. Background: Ex-airline pilot finally goes on trial in gruesome Kentucky triple murder. Reach Louisville Courier Journal reporter on Twitter: @adwolfson. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "If the jury had known that the person who claimed to find the shell casing did not pass the police polygraph, they would have reached a different verdict. He's an honest man. "He was my star defense witness," he said. LOUISVILLE, Ky. Two years after commercial airline pilot Christian Kit Martin was pulled off a jet at the Louisville airport and charged with a gruesome triple murder in western Kentucky, a jury Wednesday found him guilty and recommended he servelife in prison. PEMBROKE, Ky. (WTVF) Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announced today that a Christian County grand jury has indicted a man in connection with a 2015 triple murder. Who was the man in the cellar and who were the two people in the car? He was found guilty of three counts of murder, one count of arson in the first degree, one count of attempted arson, two counts of burglary in the first degree, and three counts of tampering with physical evidence, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced on Wednesday. A car was smoldering and inside were the unidentified remains of two people. "My father was a federal witness. Ill fight for her, for my father, and Ed until the end of time because they would have for me.". Next is jury selection on. He is accused of murdering his neighbors, married couple Calvin and Pamela Phillips, and Edward Dansereau. When Martin and Harmon split, she accused him of rape, sodomy, child abuse, child molestation, and stealing a military computer, he said. IE 11 is not supported. Just trying to live your life is nearly impossible with that much pain and this is a step that allows us to go forward and heal, Phillips said of AG Beshears help. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Just to keep the records straight - posting a day late Hmmm. that doesn't seem right - jury selection on 5/31 - considering it is Memorial day. So his family and I believe he is 100 percent innocent. Martin, 53, was found guilty ofthree murders,as well as one count of first-degree arson, one count of attempted arson, two counts offirst-degree burglary and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. He was punitively dismissed from the Army, forfeited all pay and allowances and was sentenced to be confined for 90 days. No, Martin told a reporter, I have no worries about that.. PEMBROKE, Ky. After finding Christian Kit Martin guilty of all charges, a jury recommended a sentence of life without the benefit of probation or parole. Martin allegedly broke into the Phillips' home in Pembroke, Kentucky, on Nov. 18, 2015, and fatally shot Calvin Phillips with a .45 caliber pistol, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday. The authorities theorized that Christian murdered Calvin to stop him from testifying in his court-martial, effectively ending his 30-year Army career. After all, it incorporates aspects of alleged cruelty and sexual abuse, a possible love triangle, and a man hoping to save his reputation by all means possible. Medical Examiner testifies Calvin Phillips died of multiple gunshot wounds, A Forensic pathologist for the State examined the burned remains of Pam Phillips and Ed Dansereau and concluded they died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, Blood, Hair and swabs taken found the crime scenes could not be linked to the defendant, A friend was on the phone with Pam when she heard her make a startled scream.