Local Teens Charged in Deadly Home Invasion
CAMERON (April 26, 2011)--Two Rockdale teenagers were in custody in Cameron Tuesday, both charged with home invasion and capital murder.
Tanner Baker, 18, and Brandon Cotton, 18, were being held in the Milam County Jail Tuesday and were ordered held without bond.
Both admitted to a Texas Ranger they burglarized the home and killed the victim, authorities said.
In an earlier press release Tuesday, Baker was incorrectly identified as Tanner Boyd.
Milam County Justice of the Peace Rick Gommert pronounced Sandra Phillips, 50, dead at the scene at 5:25 p.m. Monday and ordered her body sent to Austin for autopsy.
Milam County Sheriff's Deputies were sent to the 7300 block of Farm-to-Market Road 486 just after 5 p.m. Monday where they discovered the body of a woman inside her home.
An initial news release sent out by Milam County incorrectly said the location was on FM 487.
Milam County Sheriff David Green told News 10 he believes Phillips was killed at about noon Monday.
Green says she was shot, but he could not say what type of weapon was used or if it had been recovered.
Deputies say the woman's husband discovered her body when he came home from work.
Sheriff's deputies discovered a white Ford Mustang that belonged to the victim was missing.
Police officers spotted the vehicle in Rockdale at a local convenience store and arrested Baker who was found driving the car.
Cotton was found about an hour later at a different convenience store and arrested him.
Though he could not say it was connected, the Rockdale Police Chief told News 10 the department had recovered a pick up truck that was stolen from Rockdale on Sunday that he believes was stolen by Baker and Cotton.
The chief said the arrest of this pair may allow the department to clear up several unsolved issues over the past few months.
Church friends who were at the Phillips residence Monday afternoon told News 10 reporter the Phillips' have one daughter who is grown and living elsewhere.
They said Phillips was a former New York police officer and Sandra Phillips had been working at a local nursing home.
The Department of Public Safety Mobile Crime Lab crime lab was called to the scene to assist investigators in collecting evidence.
Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann also aided in the investigation.
