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 Two women speak to the detective where Peel Region's 14th homicide took place, September 9th, 2009. A 58-year-old Mississauga woman was murdered and her 28 year-old son has been arrested. (Sun Media/Dave Abel ) |
TORONTO -- Residents of a quiet Mississauga street are stunned after learning their neighbour, a friendly 58-year-old woman, was found bludgeoned in her home.
And even more shocking, the victim's "troubled" 28-year-old son is accused of killing her.
Peel police say they found Nevie Phillips suffering from "obvious signs of trauma" when they arrived at the house on Laburnum Cres., near Hwy. 407 and Derry Rd. W., around 12:30 a.m. yesterday.
Next-door neighbour Sylvia, who didn't want her last name used, said she was in her bedroom when she heard the woman's husband, Gary, return home and then rush back out after making the grisly discovery.
"He was hysterical," Sylvia said.
"He was just devastated," Sylvia said of the husband, adding that as she attempted to comfort him he kept repeating, "He killed my wife, he killed my wife."
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Nevie Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene, becoming the region's 14th homicide victim of the year.
Police used dogs to scour the neighbourhood and, about an hour later, Nigel Phillips was arrested.
The son is charged with second-degree murder and is in custody after making a brief court appearance.
Some reports suggested the accused was armed with a hammer at the time of his arrest, but police would only say a weapon was recovered.
Several neighbours said Nigel Phillips, the youngest of the couple's five adult children and the only one still living at home, had mental health issues.
"He just walks around aimlessly," Andrew McNally, who lives in the Meadowvale area, said of the accused.
One man said he has heard the accused say, "I'm an angel of God."
However, other neighbours say the man had a drug problem.
Either way, many in the area said they found Phillips "intimidating" and "scary."
They said his parents had been forced to call police on several occasions because of violent outbursts, but they apparently weren't able to get help for their son.
"I think the system let them down," said one man, who lives a few doors away.
The couple, who also have four grown daughters, moved into the large, two-storey brick home about four years ago.
The victim was a quiet, church-going woman who enjoyed working in her garden, neighbours said.
As unimaginable as it may seem, this is actually the second time this year an adult son has been accused of killing his mom in Peel Region.
In March, Justin Lima, 28, was charged with second-degree murder after his mother, Fatima, 59, was found slain in her Brampton home.
CHRIS.DOUCETTE@SUNMEDIA.CA