MP34008

Taken from Home: William Edward "Pops" Phillips, Amory, Mississippi (2011)

Last generated April 23, 2026

William Edward Phillips, known to family and friends as "Bill" and "Pops," was 52 years old when he disappeared from Amory, Monroe County, Mississippi, on June 4, 2011.[1][2] He was last seen after being dropped off at his home in the 300 block of 5th Avenue North. He has not been seen or heard from since, and his whereabouts have never been confirmed. The case subsequently became a homicide investigation, resulting in criminal charges and a guilty plea, though Phillips's location has never been established.[3][4]

Disappearance

Phillips was last seen on June 4, 2011, when he was dropped off at his home in the 300 block of 5th Avenue North in Amory, Mississippi.[2] His disappearance was first reported to authorities on June 8, 2011.[3] The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as MP34008 and assigned to the Amory Police Department as the lead investigating agency under case number 035-11-000760. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety also carries the case under number 11-011533.[1]

Phillips and his wife lived in separate households but saw each other on a daily basis. When she did not hear from him the night he disappeared, she raised the alarm.[5]

Investigation

During the investigation, law enforcement questioned Peggy Hall of Smithville, Mississippi. Hall admitted she was present at Phillips's home the night he was taken and stated that he was stabbed to death over money by an Amory man.[5] Hall told investigators that she and another man drove Phillips out to a wooded area, that she waited in the truck while Phillips and the man got out, and that Phillips never returned.[6]

Hall informed authorities that the murder weapon, a knife, had been thrown into a nearby creek. More than two years after Phillips disappeared, investigators recovered a knife in the exact creek location Hall had specified. However, no DNA evidence was found on the knife.[6]

Following Hall's account, law enforcement conducted an extensive search of the wooded area where she claimed Phillips had been taken. No evidence was recovered during that search.[5]

Peggy Hall of Smithville was arrested and charged in connection with Phillips's murder.[5] Investigator Rodney Starling served as a lead investigator on the cold case.[4]

In March 2019, a Monroe County Grand Jury indicted Jeffery Dewayne Kennedy on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Phillips's death. At the time of his indictment, Kennedy was serving a 10-year sentence in Rankin County for a drug conviction out of Monroe County.[4]

Legal Resolution

On September 14, 2020, Jeffery Dewayne Kennedy pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Monroe County Circuit Court in connection with the death of William E. "Pops" Phillips. Kennedy was sentenced to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 10 years of the sentence suspended and five years of post-release supervision.[3]

Phillips's location has never been established. His whereabouts remain unknown, and the NamUs case remains active.[2][1]

Description

At the time of his disappearance, William Phillips was a White male, 52 years old, born October 9, 1958. He stood between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed approximately 120 pounds. He had gray hair worn in a ponytail, a short gray beard, and blue eyes. His right eye was damaged and appeared fogged over.[2]

Phillips had a tattoo on his right forearm of a heart with the phrase "Bill loves Sandy." He previously had four tattoos on the left side of his face, but they had been removed.[2]

When last seen, he was wearing a white crew-neck t-shirt, blue jeans, a white baseball cap with a handyman logo, and either sneakers or no shoes.[2]

How to Help

Anyone with information about William Edward Phillips is asked to contact:

  • Amory Police Department, Amory, Mississippi: 662-256-2676 — Agency case number 035-11-000760[2][1]
  • Mississippi Bureau of Investigation: 662-563-6438[2]
  • NamUs case MP34008: namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/34008[1]

References

  1. "NamUs Case MP34008." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
  2. "William Edward Phillips." The Charley Project, volunteer-maintained missing-persons database. charleyproject.org
  3. "Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2011 cold case." Daily Journal (Monroe County), September 14, 2020. djournal.com
  4. "A cold case involving a missing man is solved in Monroe County." WCBI TV. wcbi.com
  5. "Family Looking For Answers In Monroe County Cold Case." WCBI TV. wcbi.com
  6. "Amory Cold Case." WCBI TV. wcbi.com
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