As Christian R. "Kit" Martin, a former Army Ranger major and pilot for the American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines, sat in jail without bail awaiting arraignment on murder charges stemming from the 2015 killings of his neighbors Calvin and Pamela Phillips and Edward Dansereau, his fiance came to his defense. Diana Phillips, the sister of victim Calvin Phillips,describes allegedly stumbling upon the only pieces of physical evidence potentially tying the defendant to the murders: The .45 caliber shell casing that a firearms expert claims was fired from Christian Martins gun on the back porch, Judge rules jury can hear victims cautionary statements about the defendant, Judge wont let jury hear about defendants ex-wifes bigamy charge because it was dismissed on June 1 after she completed pretrial diversion. Phillips said he found the computer when he was helping Harmon clear her stuff out of Martin's house. Atkins, the judge, thanked thejurors for "doing your duty without complaint.". The car was traced to the Phillips home, where investigators found another crime scene Calvin Phillips dead from multiple gunshot wounds. "He was my star defense witness," he said. American Airlines, which owns PSA Airlines, said Martin, who was arrested at a TSA checkpoint as he prepared to fly as first officer from Louisville to Charlotte, was placed on "administrative suspension" pending the outcome of the case. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Background: Ex-airline pilot finally goes on trial in gruesome Kentucky triple murder. 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. 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. Several attempts to reach Harmon for comment were unsuccessful. Legal correspondent Julia Jena, Senior Director Grace Wong and field producers Joy Nakrin and Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report. "My parents died for this court-martial," the Phillips' son, Matt Phillips, said Monday. The sentencing phase of the trial beganThursday morning, featuring severalmembers ofthe Phillips and Dansereau families reading victim impact statements. Calvin and Pamela Phillips' son, Matt Philips, told CNN his father helped build an Army case against Martin, who had served for 30 years. While they were helping her, they found discs labeled secret operation and a photograph of alleged abuse of Martins step-son. LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Matt Phillips hopes to finally see justice in his parents' heinous murder as a pilot and former Army Major was taken off a flight in handcuffs at the Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport. The triple murder case went cold until 2017 when the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office took over the case after talking to the Phillips family. Martin said he considered Phillips an asset in his case. American Airlines ex-pilot convicted in Kentucky 2015 triple murder Martin had hired private investigators to help him build a defense. A Christian County circuit court judge has ordered that he be held without bond. The bodies of Pamela Phillips and Dansereau were found in Calvin Phillips' car, which had been set on fire in a cornfield a few miles away from the couple's home, he said. Martin, who hadtakenthe stand to defend himselfearlier this weekduring the eighth day of the trial, was seen shakinghis head following the verdict. This undated photo provided by the Christian County Detention Center shows Christian R. Martin. Martin was booked in Christian County and held without bond. "Everyone in town knew what was going on while I was at work every day," Martin said. Pam Phillips and Dancerau were found shot and killed in her burned vehicle down the road. He was arrested the following day, just as he was about to fly as the first officer on a flight from Louisville to Charlotte, North Carolina. The family of Calvin and Pamela Phillips have long maintained that Martin did in fact have a motive to kill the couple. His trial is scheduled to begin in Hardin County on June 2 after being moved out of Christian County last August due to pretrial publicity. There were no gray areas. Martin allegedly broke into the Phillips' home in Pembroke, Kentucky, on Nov. 18, 2015, and fatally shot Calvin Phillips with a .45 caliber pistol, an indictment filed against him alleges. The triple-slayings occurred just weeks before Calvin Phillips was scheduled to testify in Martins military court-martial. He was eventually released and later moved to North Carolina. Cellphone tower evidence also reportedly places Martin in the area where the remains of Pamela Phillips and Dansereau were found. In the motion, Griffiths says a Christian County Sheriffs deputy got it wrong when he testified before the grand jury that indicted Martin the day before his arrest. Phillips said he found the computer when he was helping Harmon clear her stuff out of Martin's house. This was an attack not only on my family but on the entire justice system.". The court-martial eventually found Martin guilty of one count of mishandling classified information and assault on a child under the age of 16. Before he was found guilty in his court-martial, Martin had hired private investigators to help him build a defense. After the murders, he also moved from Christian County, Kentucky, and was most recently living in North Carolina, as prosecutors came across no evidence that could initially tie him to the deaths. Ex-American Airlines pilot convicted in 2015 Kentucky triple murder The Kentucky Attorney General has announced the indictment of a man in a triple murder case from 2015. PSA Airlines pilot Christian Richard Martin, 51, was arrested Saturday at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and charged with three counts of murder, one of arson, one of attempted arson, burglary in the first degree and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. Martin's ex-wife, Joan Harmon, and her son invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid testifying in the case. The families and the Pembroke community have endured a profound loss, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement Wednesday night. DA Whaley asked the judge to dismiss the motion because Lt. Smith did not provide false testimony. NBC's 'Dateline: The Evil That Watches' profiles a brutal triple murder that left the small town of Pembroke, Kentucky, shaken to its core. The case was based on accusations of sexual abuse from Martins estranged wife and that he allegedly mishandled classified military information. From last month: Airline pilot charged with triple-murder while at Louisville airport, 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, Martin maintained that he had no motive to kill Calvin Phillips, said in an April 2016 interview with NBC affiliate WSMV. Investigators have yet to comment on a motive in the slayings. He was dismissed from the Army and received 90 days in jail. 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. 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. 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. Kit has given his life to public service and has sacrificed his self for his fellow man," Spencer told WTVD. He will be returned to Christian County while he waits for trial. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek the death penalty, according to court documents. Beshear said his office took over the investigation after Matt Phillips, the son of the murdered couple, met with him two years ago and voiced fears the case might never be solved. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Having been active community members and adored by all, their sudden passings and the circumstances surrounding it was a complete shock. "My father was a federal witness. Their next-door neighbor, Edward Dansereaus, charred body was also in the car with her. I had moved on.". On Monday, Phillips sat down with WAVE 3 News to talk about what life was like after his parents, and their neighbor, Ed Dancerau, were murdered. "They were together all day long, and they didnt really try to hide it or anything like that.". They interviewed Phillips, who said he thought Martin had stolen an Army laptop, according to Martin and tapes of the interviews obtained by WSMV. Martin fatally shot three of his neighbors, Edward Dansereau and married couple Calvin and Pamela Phillips on Nov. 18, 2015, Cameron 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. "My father was a federal witness. What district does Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde represent? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The families and the Pembroke community have endured a profound loss. Another twist in pilot's triple murder charges - The Courier-Journal Now that this matter has been closed for good, though, lets find out more about the couple, along with the nitty-gritty details of the case, shall we? Calvin and Pamela Phillips were murdered in 2015. 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. Yet, Martin claimed he did not have a motive as Calvin was going to be a "star witness" in his defense at the court-martial. Martins attorney, assistant public advocate Tom Griffiths, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Phillips told private investigators hired by Martin that he thought the pilot had stolen an Army laptop. Friends and Family of Cal & Pam Phillips - Facebook The jury heard conflictingaccountsof the crime, which went unsolved for years. What had happened here? "His spirit wasinfectious, and his spirit made everyone feel like they were loved," Hilton said of Dansereau. You can watch our full episode, "The Evil That Watches, now. On Monday, Martin's daughter, McKenzie, also expressed support for her father, telling ABC News in a statement, "My dad is an American hero. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. NCFM has an update in the case of Army Major Kit Martin about the November 2015 unsolved triple homicide in Pembroke, Kentucky. At Martins penalty phase sentencing on September 2, 2021, the judge ruled for the jurys recommendation, sentencing Martin to life in prison without parole. I had moved on.". Which Republicans voted against Juneteenth? A hearing is set. Griffiths also said a laptop computer that was used by an investigator to obtain cell phone evidence was corrupted. Police were called out to a field on the edge of Pembroke, Kentucky. "He was passed out in the road, ODd like a couple months before the murders too," Martin said. He was still wearing his pilots uniform when he was booked. Christian Kit Martin is accused of murdering Edward Dansereau and married couple Calvin and Pamela Phillips on November 18, 2015. Ill fight for her, for my father, and Ed until the end of time because they would have for me.". Calvin and Pamela Phillips were murdered in 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. One of the murder victims was Calvin Phillips, a married man involved in an extramarital sexual affair with Major Martin's dangerous, bigamist, convicted felon, lying and conniving ex-wife; Joan Harmon-Guerra. Christian "Kit" Martin, 52, is. Police obtained a search warrant and found a man lying on the floor dead with gunshot wounds to his chest. Former U.S. Army helicopter pilot accused of Pembroke triple - WZTV And so I owed him for that really," he added. Diana Phillips is the sister of Calvin Phillips, who was found shot in his Pembroke home in November 2015. Eventually, once everything asserted above got combined with the physical evidence found in the Phillips home, which further linked Christian to the matter, he was arrested on May 11, 2019. 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. And even after a trial and verdict, the case continues to divide the quiet Kentucky town. The military court eventually convicted Martin on one count of mishandling classified information and one count of assault on a child. On Saturday, Martin was arrested at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, taken off an airplane full of passengers just as it was about to take off on a flight, authorities said. The killings happened just two weeks before the scheduled court martial. "And the other thing he had done for me was he had gotten me out of this bigamist relationship. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, prosecutors said. And so I owed him for that really," Martin said in the interview. "We believe that he is innocent of these charges and hope that the truth will come out.. 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. Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. As per records, Christians now-ex-wife, Joan, was supposedly having an affair with Calvin, and she also had problems with Christian. The jury also began deliberating over Martin's sentence, with it not immediately known when a final punishment could be handed down. "You never dream or ever think something like this would happen to your family," John Phillips said, calling it a "nightmare.". The family of Calvin and Pamela Phillips have long contested that Martin didn't have a motive to kill the couple. He says his family didnt know Martin had become a pilot with American Airlines. Matt Phillips adds more detail to his aunt Diana Phillips testimony about her discovery of two key pieces of evidence in the Phillips home: Dog tag belonging to Kit Martin found on shelf in the Phillips mudroom on 11/27/15, .45 shell casing found on back porch near cellar door in April 2016, Ed Dansereaus longtime companion/girlfriend gives illuminating testimony about his personality and timeline of her last interactions with him. Police were called out to a field on the edge of Pembroke, Kentucky. Tucker Richardson, who defended Martin in during the court-martial said in a statement that when Martin was first suspected of the murders in 2015, "it was believed that Calvin Phillips, one of the victims, was going to be a prosecution witness against Kit, thus establishing a motive. Watch the Dateline episode "The Evil That Watches" now - NBC News In remembering Cal & Pam Phillips this is a place where people can share memories, post news, and pus Okay - it looks like my "go-person" has not been here for awhile - so any locals - any "new" updates for this case? Now I'm thinking jury selection starts on 6/1 changing my notes! With the new box of evidence - was wondering. if there might be a court date before jury selection on 5/31/21. On November 18, 2015, they were both brutally murdered. ", "Hes served his whole life and before this had a spotless record," Martin's daughter said in her statement. Matt Phillips - Facebook The forensic analysis reportedly shows the casing was fired from a .45 caliber Glock belonging to Martin. Calvin Phillips was found fatally shot at his home in Pembroke, Kentucky, Attorney General Andy Beshear said Saturday. But Martin said he wasn't jealous. Hence, the fact that Calvin admitted on record that he never heard about any sexual abuse made him the star witness for Christians defense, not the prosectors. 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. On Monday, Beshear said although he couldn't elaborate on what led to the arrest, he believes "this will be a very compelling case.". View Calvin Phillips results in Kentucky (KY) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Phillips told private investigators hired by Martin that he thought the pilot had stolen an Army laptop. According to their obituary, "Calvin Lee Phillips (59) & Pamela J Phillips (57), passed away Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, in. All rights reserved. Military charges ended defendants career, Crime scene photos reveal position of Calvin Phillipss body. The case revolved around Martin's ex-wife, Joan Harmon, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse and mishandling classified military materials. While this verdict in no way eases that pain, I hope that they find some peace and comfort today.". PEMBROKE, Ky. A former commercial pilot and US Army major is accused in the deaths of three neighbors in a sordid web of allegations including infidelity, murder and political opportunism. He claimed that he had not been jealous of her affair with Calvin Phillips as it had gotten me out of this huge mess.. Judge John Atkins asked both attorneys to submit a brief with a ruling to follow before trial. Meanwhile, Martin has become a cause clbre among mens rights groups and others who believe he is being railroaded by the state of Kentucky after being the target of a Pentagon sexual assault witch hunt based on frivolous accusations. Martin said he considered Phillips an asset in his case. "My private investigator went through all the allegations with him and just went down the whole line and just refuted everything. She then accused him of rape, sodomy, child abuse, child molestation, and stealing a military computer, Martin said. 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. 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.