By Jeremy Grey
AL.com
Family members of an 8-year-old girl killed in Florida in 1998 say they fear a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court could set her killer free.
Joshua Phillips, now 31, was convicted in the murder of Maddie Clifton and was sentenced to life without parole, News 4 Jax reports. At the time of the murder, Phillips was 14.
The Supreme Court in 2012, in a case that originated in Alabama, ruled minors could not be sentenced to life without parole.
"Phillips may not get parole for killing Maddie but the Supreme Court's ruling means his sentencing can be reviewed by a judge," the station reported. Phillips' attorney has until Jan. 8 to file re-sentencing motions, the report stated.
"Unfortunately with this law being passed, we are very anxious to see what happens with a possible re-sentencing hearing," Maddie's sister wrote in a statement to Action News Jax.
"This is all in God's hands and Maddie lives in our hearts everyday."
Maddie had been playing in front of a neighbor's house just before dinner time when she vanished on Nov. 3, 1998, The New York Times reported at the time.
She was found dead under Phillips' water bed several days later.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/201...l#incart_river
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