Mother seeks answers after son killed in solitary

The body of Anwar Phillips was discovered on Jan. 4, 2022, in his solitary cell at Virginia’s notorious Red Onion State Prison. Another prisoner has been charged in his death — but Phillips’ mother says she wants answers the Virginia Department of Corrections won’t give her.

Vernetta Phillips shared the circumstances of her son’s death as they were told to her by Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steven Davis. 8News contacted Davis and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to confirm the information, but both declined to comment, citing the ongoing case.

According to Vernetta Phillips, her son and a fellow prisoner, William Pettigrew, were both in solitary confinement when Pettigrew transferred a hand-braided rope from his cell to Phillips’. The Commonwealth’s Attorney and VADOC claimed to Vernetta Phillips that there is surveillance footage of the crime.

Pettigrew was indicted on charges of murder and strangulation in September and will face a jury trial in the Wise County Circuit Court on Jan. 4, 2023 — exactly one year to the day after he purportedly killed Anwar Phillips.

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In 2021, efforts to create an independent oversight body for VADOC failed, but advocates saw a limited win earlier this year when the General Assembly created a work group to make recommendations on how to end solitary confinement for longer than 14 days.

Advocates have criticized the study because VADOC has refused to allow an external review board to oversee the research, as is standard in academia.

https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/who-was-manning-the-cameras-virginia-mother-seeks-answers-after-sons-death-in-solitary/

Virginia, I'm ashamed of you. You're looking like Mississippi here.