Nathaniel Phillips was sentenced today to just over 11 years in prison for the stabbing death of Theresa Hungerford in June 2010.
A press release from the US Attorney’s Office is below.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison In Slaying That Followed a Dispute Over Drugs - Defendant Repeatedly Stabbed His Friend in Argument at Her Apartment -
WASHINGTON - Nathaniel Phillips, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 11 years and three months for stabbing and killing a friend inside her apartment in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Phillips pled guilty in April 2011 to voluntary manslaughter while armed. He was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Gerald I. Fisher.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 19, 2010, Phillips was at the apartment of his friend Theresa Hungerford, 45, in the 1600 block of E Street NE. Both had been ingesting cocaine for several days. Also present was Ms. Hungerford’s brother, who later left to go to a nearby laundromat. When the brother left, he locked the deadbolt on the apartment’s front door and took the only key with him.A short time later, Phillips and Ms. Hungerford got into an argument over the drugs. According to Phillips, Ms. Hungerford accused him of stealing cocaine, threatened him with a knife, and prevented him from leaving the locked apartment. Phillips claimed that as the argument turned violent, Ms. Hungerford tried to attack him with a knife, and that in response, he repeatedly stabbed her. He eventually escaped from the apartment. Ms. Hungerford was later found by her brother, with numerous stab wounds about her body.
In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Detectives Anthony Patterson, John Bolden, Sean Caine, and Randy Parker. He also praised the work of MPD Crimes Scene Technicians Karl Turner, Fred Brown, Leother Strong, Dwayne Mitchell, and Charles Egan. He also thanked the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Homicide Section, particularly Victim Advocate Marcey Rinker and Paralegal Debra Joyner. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Cobb, Melinda Williams, and David Gorman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
