Inside The Case Of Eight-Year-Old Maddie Clifton

Maddie Clifton was just eight years old and like many other youngsters she headed out to play in the neighborhood after school in November 1998. Little did anyone know that the moment would be enough to change their lives forever.

It almost felt as though eight-year-old Maddie Clifton had disappeared into thin air, with no one ever feeling closer to finding the truth. That was until a break in the case revealed something sinister had happened to the youngster that would be enough to shake the neighborhood.

Seeing kids playing in the street was common when Maddie Clifton was growing up

Things have changed a lot throughout the years. Cases such as the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have seen many parents become more worried than ever about the safety of their little ones, with many now refusing to let their children out of their sight - even for a minute. However, things were different for Maddie Clifton.

She was born on June 17, 1990, and lived in Jacksonville, Florida, where it was common for youngsters to run through the street as they played together after school. Maddie was used to hanging out with the neighborhood kids, while adults weren’t too worried about locking their doors or thinking about the stranger they just saw.

Maddie Clifton would usually spend the afternoon playing with her older sister

Thankfully, eight-year-old Maddie Clifton was also greeted by the fact that she lived in a fairly safe neighborhood that wasn’t known for its crime. The idea of living the American Dream was something that filled the air, with every neighbor feeling as though they were the kind who would lend a cup of sugar in an emergency.

Things were even better for Maddie, as she had her older sister to keep her company. Jessie was a few years her senior at 11 years old, but the siblings would often stick together. The sisters lived with Steve, their dad, and Sheila, their mom, in what appeared to be the picture-perfect image of family life.

She always had to finish her homework and piano practice before being allowed outside

Everything seemed to be going to plan for Maddie Clifton and her sister on November 3, 1998, as the siblings arrived home from school and soon set about waiting for their mom to get home. Sheila was reportedly voting that fateful day, so Maddie busied herself completing homework and practicing the piano until her mom was back.

Reports claim that Sheila finally pulled up home at 4:30 pm and quickly told Maddie and Jessie they were allowed outside to play. That was all eight-year-old Maddie needed to hear, so she grabbed her sister and promptly ran out to see if they could spot any of the other neighborhood children. Everything almost felt too normal.

Josh Phillips was worried about playing with Maddie Clifton in case he got in trouble

She was just eight years old, but Maddie Clifton was allegedly a confident soul who was used to making friends with all kinds of people in the neighborhood. In fact, plenty of parents fell for the area because the children were always getting along and spending the evenings together. However, there was one who never seemed to join in.

Josh Phillips was 14 years old and lived next to Maddie, but they weren’t often seen together. It appeared Josh was more used to spending time in his own yard. Still, that didn’t stop the eight-year-old from asking her neighbor if she could join his game of baseball. However, being so young meant Josh thought Maddie wouldn’t be any good.

Josh Phillips and his family lived across the street from Maddie Clifton

Just because he lived in Florida didn’t mean that was always the case for Josh Phillips. Instead, he was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, before his family decided to make a move across the country. The Phillips family eventually settled in Florida and quickly set about making it their home, even mingling with their new neighbors.

Josh, his mom - Melissa - and his dad - Steve - moved to Jacksonville at the start of the 1990s and seemed to find the perfect house directly opposite the Cliftons. Joining a tight-knit community was seemingly enough to see Steve and Melissa get to know the Cliftons reasonably well throughout the years, and it wasn’t long before they appeared pretty close.

His dad was known to be violent behind closed doors

Just because they seemed like the perfect family on the outside didn’t mean that things were ideal for Josh Phillips behind closed doors. It’s alleged that his dad, Steve, had a side that would only be revealed when he was away from the rest of the world. Apparently, Steve was known to have an incredibly violent temper.

To make matters worse, this was exaggerated when Steve drank, something that supposedly happened a lot. Reports claim that he would lash out at Melissa and Josh and be incredibly strict with his family. One of the many rules was that Josh was never allowed children over to play at the house, especially young girls, but no one knew why.

Josh’s parents being out of the house meant he was willing to take the risk

Josh Phillips was alone in the yard when eight-year-old Maddie Clifton asked if she could join his game of baseball. It turned out his parents weren’t home either, leaving the teen in a tough position. After all, Josh knew that his dad would likely lose his temper if he came home and found he’d broken one of the biggest rules.

However, Josh also knew that Steve and Melissa likely wouldn’t be home for hours, so as long as Maddie was gone, there was a good chance they would never find out she was even there. Perhaps it would be nice to have someone to play baseball with finally? Sadly, it was a decision that was about to change everyone’s lives.

An accident saw Josh Phillips panic he would get in trouble with his father

Everything was going well between 14-year-old Josh Phillips and eight-year-old Maddie Clifton as the pair quickly learned they had more in common than they first believed. Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn when an accident happened, and Josh was left wondering what he was supposed to do to stay out of trouble with his dad.

It’s said Josh accidentally hit a baseball at Maddie’s eye, causing her to scream in pain and start crying as her face bled. Of course, a screaming child wasn’t the best way to ensure Josh blended in with the neighborhood. If Steve came home and found out what he’d done, Josh could be in more trouble than ever before.

Josh Phillips allegedly had no idea what to do to stop Maddie Clifton from crying

Plenty have found themselves in a stressful situation, and stress has a host of effects on the body. It's supposed to help our brains figure out whether to fight or flight but can also see us make irreversible decisions. That was the case for Josh Phillips, who had no idea what to do when eight-year-old Maddie Clifton wouldn't stop crying.

Tragically, Josh grabbed the baseball bat he'd been using and started hitting Maddie until she was quiet. The crying stopped. There was silence. While he might have made Maddie be quiet, Josh was now left with the eight-year-old's body and the fear of getting caught. Eventually, the teen decided to hide Maddie's body under his waterbed.

Maddie Clifton’s mom instantly started to panic when she couldn’t find her daughter

No one else in the neighborhood had seen a thing, but that didn’t mean the rest of the world would move on and forget about eight-year-old Maddie Clifton. After all, she lived with her family, and it wasn’t long before Sheila was outside calling for her daughters to come home for dinner. Unfortunately, Maddie was nowhere to be seen.

Sheila started walking to her neighbors’ homes to see if anyone had seen or heard from Maddie, but no one even knew she was outside. The minutes passed, and each one merely saw more and more panic coarse through Sheila’s veins. Maddie had been outside - she knew it. So where had she gone, and how did she just disappear?

The teen continued to act as though nothing had happened to his parents

While Sheila was running through the neighborhood screaming for her daughter to come home, Josh Phillips was busy making sure he had an alibi and learning how to act as though nothing had happened. Amazingly, it seemed as though that was something that came pretty naturally to the teen as no one had any idea about what he’d done.

It’s reported that Josh stayed inside until Steve and Melissa arrived home. The teen even spoke to his dad for a time before heading back to his room, with no indication that he had ended the life of an eight-year-old just hours before. At least, that’s what Josh believed had happened when he hit Maddie Clifton with the baseball bat.

Discovering Maddie Clifton was still alive led Josh Phillips to make an unthinkable decision

Josh Phillips knew that he couldn’t avoid going back into his bedroom forever, so he eventually headed back to try and figure out what he was going to do next. It was only then that the teen heard a noise that made his heart sink once again. It sounded like moaning - and it was coming from under the waterbed.

Josh lifted his mattress and quickly realized several blows to the head hadn’t been enough to end eight-year-old Maddie Clifton’s life. Rather than risk getting into even more trouble, the teen took a knife and stabbed his neighbor seven times in the chest before cutting her throat to ensure there was no way Maddie could come back to life.

Hundreds of neighbors joined the search for Maddie Clifton in the following days

Sheila Clifton searched high and low for Maddie, but she was nowhere to be seen. She quickly called the police, and it seemed that every officer in the area was now searching for the missing eight-year-old in the hopes they would find her alive and well. They weren’t alone. Hundreds of neighbors also joined in the search.

No one could seemingly believe that someone would have taken Maddie, with neighbors hoping the youngster had merely wandered off somewhere and got stuck. They quickly printed out thousands of posters that were handed to people far and wide. Maddie’s face was plastered everywhere, but nothing was enough to throw up any clues about what happened.

The police used search dogs and questioned neighbors, but no one had seen Maddie Clifton

There are plenty of ways that police search for a missing person, with plenty realizing the first 72 hours are the most crucial in a case. It wasn't long before the police brought out a host of search and sniffer dogs to see if they could pick up eight-year-old Maddie Clifton's scent and follow where she had ended up.

Sadly, the dogs didn't find anything, perhaps because so many people had been walking through the neighborhood searching for Maddie before they arrived. They also continued their search on foot in the hopes someone would spot something that had been missed by the dogs. The results? Maddie had seemingly disappeared from the neighborhood without a trace

Josh Phillips was one of the many people who searched for Maddie Clifton

For six days, the neighborhood was filled with police activity and volunteers as everyone wanted to try and uncover what had happened to eight-year-old Maddie Clifton. Her parents were distraught, often being stopped for interviews with the press or concerned neighbors. Every day that passed sadly made it harder to hold out hope that Maddie was safe.

Melissa and Steve Phillips were two of the many volunteers who joined the search as they felt terrible for their neighbors and friends and wanted to do everything they could to help. Amazingly, Josh also joined the search party as he walked the neighborhood looking for hope that he knew didn’t exist. After all, he knew the truth about Maddie.

The teen found it easier to put himself in a fantasy world instead of realizing what he’d done

People have their own ways of dealing with things in their lives. However, most never have to know what it’s like to deal with the fact they ended someone’s life with a baseball bat and knife. Somehow, that was the case for Josh Phillips, who continued to try and live his everyday life while the world searched for Maddie Clifton.

Josh later confessed that he had learned how to put himself “in a fantasy world that nothing happened” as it’s something he’s done since he “was a kid.” He added that it’s his “defense mechanism” and how Josh never made the decision “to ignore it,” it was just something that happened naturally on its own.

The nation stood still as the disappearance of Maddie Clifton dominated headlines

There are certain news stories that are enough to dominate the nation. That was the case when Maddie Clifton disappeared, as it was almost unheard of for such a young girl to disappear without a trace in Jacksonville, Florida. Of course, with so many people having children of their own, they could only imagine how the Cliftons felt.

Losing a child is many parents’ worst nightmare, let alone them disappearing with no idea where they could be. It was enough for news stations from across the US to gather in Florida, as many wanted to be there to share all the latest updates and news in the case. Sadly, there was no new information for six days.

The Cliftons were in the middle of an interview when there was a break in the case

With no idea what happened to their daughter, Sheila and Steve Clifton had to prepare that anything could have happened, including the idea that Maddie had been kidnapped by someone. This meant giving plenty of interviews as the parents pleaded for someone to return their daughter or at least confess what happened to their eight-year-old.

It had been a week since Maddie had disappeared, and the Clifton parents were in the middle of giving yet another interview begging for people to come forward with any information they might have that could lead police to Maddie - no matter how small it seemed. Amazingly, the interview was happening the same time Melissa Phillips started cleaning Josh’s room.

Melissa Phillips assumed the liquid on Josh’s floor was from his waterbed

It was the same as it had been for a week. Melissa Phillips found herself caught up in the search for Maddie Clifton as she hoped her neighbor would be returned unharmed. Of course, life still continued for the rest of the world, including the list of chores Melissa needed to get done with the house to herself.

That included cleaning Josh’s room, where Melissa quickly spotted a wet patch on the floor. Initially, she believed his waterbed had burst. It wasn’t until Melissa lifted the mattress that she spotted a sinister sight: Maddie’s body. She ran from the house and into the arms of one of the police officers on the street with some devastating news.

Josh Phillips’ house had already been searched three times before the discovery

Although Melissa wanted to believe there was no way that her son could have played a part in ending Maddie Clifton’s life, it was tough to deny how things looked. After all, Maddie was found under Josh’s bed, and no one had any clues that pointed to any other explanation than he had ended her life.

However, things weren’t that simple. It turned out the police had already searched every home in the neighborhood - including the Phillips’. As if that wasn’t enough, officers had searched the house no fewer than three times as they didn’t want to leave a stone unturned. Still, the officers never reported any findings from The Phillips house or Josh’s room.

The FBI had been offering a $100,000 reward for any clues that would lead to Maddie

One of the many questions people had about the ending of Maddie Clifton’s life was how did the police never notice any smell in Josh Phillips’ bedroom when they searched the home? They later supposedly put this down to the smell of Josh’s birds that they claimed overpowered the smell of anything else in the room.

The investigation got to a point where the lack of clues and leads saw the FBI get involved, with Maddie’s parents offering up to $100,000 to anyone who could point them in the right direction. Sadly, no amount of power was enough to discover what happened to eight-year-old Maddie until Melissa made the gruesome discovery.

Josh Phillips was arrested within an hour and confessed mere hours later

For years, Josh Phillips was just like most other teenagers in the area, as he was a student at A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology, where no one ever paid too much attention to the youngster. Why? Josh was always described as being perfectly average. That was until they learned what he had done to Maddie Clifton.

It took just one hour from Melissa uncovering Maddie’s body to Josh getting arrested at his school for taking someone’s life in the first degree. His face was suddenly on every news station across the nation as neighbors crumbled under the news. The Cliftons were almost completely broken to learn Maddie had been so close, but no one knew.

Neighbors and teachers didn’t believe Josh had ended Maddie Clifton’s life

People across Jacksonville were initially lost for words when they learned that Maddie Clifton had been found. It wasn’t just the idea that one of their own had taken her life, but the fact that the eight-year-old was actually gone as so many had held out hope that Maddie was alive. Tragically, Maddie was never coming home.

It wasn’t long before people began to talk about the trial, with plenty believing Josh might be innocent. After all, his principal confessed that no one at Josh’s school could “fathom him doing something like this,” while other neighbors added Josh never appeared to be angry and had plenty of friends at school. It seemed too out of character.

The judge was forced to move the trial as they feared people would be biased toward Josh

It can be tough to get a fair trial for someone when they’re a well-known face in the area. While Josh Phillips might not have been the biggest celebrity in Jacksonville, plenty of people now knew his face, and many had been talking about the teen and his crime ever since they learned the news that Maddie Clifton was gone.

The doubts were enough to make the judge move Josh’s trial halfway across the state to a new county as they feared there would be a biased jury. The judge added there was a chance Josh wouldn’t necessarily be convicted as locals might feel sorry for the teen and decide to find him not guilty before hearing the evidence.

14-year-old Josh Phillips was soon set to stand trial as an adult

Josh Phillips had only been arrested for a few days when something major happened: he was moved out of a juvenile detention center and into the county jail. It turned out the courts decided the severity of his crime meant they wanted to have him tried as an adult, even though Josh was still just 14 years old.

This came after an autopsy revealed that Maddie Clifton would have lost her life to the multiple skull fractures, let alone the continual stab wounds Josh made once he realized she was still alive. Trying the teen as an adult was the only way to get the most severe punishment, even though they had to rule out capital punishment.

His lawyer never interviewed Josh Phillips and instead played chess with the teen

Even though he was arrested and the police found Maddie Clifton’s body underneath Josh Phillips’ bed, it would take a long time to gather all the evidence and build a successful case for both sides. That’s why Josh’s trial didn’t begin until the following year, on July 6, 1999. However, some believe his lawyer didn’t use his time wisely.

Richard D. Nichols was in charge of defending Josh, yet decided to play chess with the teen every time he visited him behind bars instead of asking questions and building a case. It was an unusual move and one that worried plenty of people on Josh’s side. Still, Richard believed he could argue Josh was merely a scared child.

Richard D. Nichols also never called a witness to the stand in Josh’s trial

Being in the courts so often means that lawyers pick up plenty of clues about how a trial is going, whether it’s in their favor or not. That appeared to be the case for prosecutors as they realized Richard D. Nichols didn’t call a single person to the stand the entire time throughout the trial.

It was a risky move and one that confused many. Even bringing someone like a character witness might have been enough to give Josh’s defense more substance. Instead, not even the teen was allowed to take to the stand to defend himself, as Richard thought it was best that no one spoke on Josh’s behalf other than him.

Prosecutors believed Josh Phillips had ulterior motives for ending Maddie Clifton’s life

Throughout the trial, the jury got to hear both sides of the arguments, including how the prosecution believed certain events unfolded. They also wanted to try and pin a motive on Josh Phillips to give their tale more substance and eventually settled on the idea that the teen might have had a dark reason to take Maddie’s life.

They claimed that Josh had allegedly spoken about assault and various adult topics with both Maddie and her sister Jessie. The prosecution went on to add that Josh ended up taking Maddie’s life on purpose as he wanted to experiment and wanted his eight-year-old neighbor to be his victim. However, this was all just speculation.

An autopsy revealed that Maddie Clifton hadn’t been assaulted during the attack

Josh Phillips explained in his confession that the bottom half of Maddie’s clothing had been removed as he dragged her inside the house to hide her body under his bed. However, the prosecution claimed that this couldn’t have been the case as there was no dirt on her skin or the bottom half of Maddie’s birthday.

Instead, they believed Josh planned to assault Maddie Clifton, but something went wrong. An autopsy was performed to get to the bottom of every detail of the trial, and it was determined that Maddie was never assaulted. While this was good news for Josh’s defense, there were still plenty of other inconsistencies in his version of the story.

A lack of blood also seemed to go against Josh Phillips’ version of the story

Another part of the story that Josh Phillips told was how he accidentally hit eight-year-old Maddie Clifton in the eye with a baseball and then used his baseball bat to hit her until she stopped screaming and crying. Of course, plenty of forensic tests were performed on various items of Josh’s and at the crime scene.

The prosecution claimed there was no blood in the backyard, which - to them - meant it couldn’t have been the crime scene. The prosecution also argued there were no traces of blood found on the baseball, which went against Josh’s testimony that he only ended Maddie’s life because she was involved in an accident while they played together.

The defense claimed brain scans proved Josh Phillips couldn’t make a rational decision

The defense might not have called anyone to the stand, but they did have plenty of counter arguments. For one, Richard D. Nichols claimed that Josh Phillips had been living with brain lesions that could have affected his behavior. Brain lesions are described as an area of the brain that’s been damaged at some point and can vary in severity.

They’re also only commonly spotted when brain scans are run for another reason, such as a knock to the head or unexplained seizures. Josh Phillips’ lawyer claimed that his brain lesions were in the frontal lobe, which is linked to panic and impaired judgment. Richard added he believed it meant Josh couldn’t make a rational decision when stressed.

Several arguments were thrown out of court by the judge for being invalid

Even though Josh Phillips’ lawyer claimed the brain lesions could have caused the teen to be unable to make a rational decision, he never called an accredited doctor to the stand to back up the statement. In fact, that wasn’t the only thing that went wrong for Josh throughout the trial, as several arguments from both sides were thrown out.

The prosecution stated Josh would regularly talk about inappropriate things with eight-year-old Maddie Clifton and frequently watched adult movies. However, the judge ruled that the brain scans and the prosecution’s claims couldn’t be used in court as they believed neither of them were valid, meaning one of Josh’s only defenses was over before it started.

Richard D. Nichols persuaded Josh’s parents not to let him take to the stand

It can be tough to know how anyone will react to a situation until they find themselves in the middle of it all. That was the case for Melissa and Steve Phillips, who were torn between wanting to stand by their son and knowing that he ended eight-year-old Maddie Clifton’s life. Some wondered if they would defend Josh.

While they might have been torn about how to react, there was one thing Josh’s lawyer wanted Melissa and Steve to do: talk Josh out of taking to the stand throughout his trial. Apparently, Richard D. Nichols believed it would be best if the teen said nothing at all in court. It appeared to be his best hope of winning.

Steve Phillips defended the lawyer’s approach even knowing what it meant for his son

The court didn’t have to wait long to see where Steve Phillips stood on it all, as he quickly defended the lawyer’s actions when it came to building the case and how he represented Josh in court. That didn’t necessarily mean that Steve was there to support his son, but instead believed Richard D. Nichols knew what he was doing.

In Florida, someone is automatically given a life sentence if they’re found guilty of taking someone’s life in the first degree. Defending Richard meant that Josh might not have had the best representation in the trial. However, some believed Steve didn’t seem bothered that his son might be locked up for the rest of his life.

Josh Phillips’ lawyer relied on his closing statement to try and win over the jury

Each side of the court is allowed to make a closing statement at the end of the trial. Apparently, it was here that Richard D. Nichols planned to try and win over the jury, claiming that Josh Phillips wasn’t a monster for ending the life of eight-year-old Maddie Clifton - he had merely committed a monstrous act.

Richard stated that Josh’s crime started as “an accident,” but it quickly “deteriorated through panic that bordered on madness.” The lawyer hoped the jury would see that Josh was just a teenager who was worried about getting into trouble with his father and never meant to hurt Maddie. This was largely undone by Josh later stabbing Maddie multiple times.

The trial and jury deliberation were unusually short for the type of crime

What started as a huge search for eight-year-old Maddie Clifton quickly turned into something much larger than anyone ever imagined. Hundreds of neighbors hoped they would find the little girl alive, but that was undone when Melissa Phillips uncovered the truth in her son’s bedroom. Suddenly, Josh was being held accountable for his actions in court.

However, the search for Maddie lasted longer than his trial, as it took just two days before the jury retired. This was largely influenced by the defense’s lack of witnesses. Still, it took just two hours for the jury members to reach their decision - two time scales that are mostly unheard of in these kinds of cases.

Josh Phillips continued to sit in silence as he was handed a life sentence

Just like most of his trial, Josh Phillips sat in silence as his sentence was read out and the jury announced they reached their decision: guilty. Being tried as an adult meant the teen was about to face life behind bars at just 15 years old. To make matters worse for the teen, there was no possibility of parole.

Rather than fight the decision, Josh appeared to hang his head and stare into space as the rest of the world heard he would likely never see the light of day again. While many argued that it was a fitting punishment for ending eight-year-old Maddie Clifton’s life in such a gruesome way, it was tough for many to find comfort.

Sheila and Steve Clifton struggled to come to terms with revelations in the trial

It was tough for people to know how to react to the news Josh Phillips was about to spend the rest of his life behind bars. After all, even if they didn’t know eight-year-old Maddie Clifton or her family when she went missing, hundreds of people were now emotionally involved in it all in more ways than they ever imagined.

For Sheila and Steve, it seemed they didn’t know how to recover from the trial. It was supposed to be over, but the parents would never move on from losing their daughter. To make matters worse, they had been living opposite her body for six days with no idea the neighbor was the one who ended her life.

The Cliftons ultimately filed for a divorce after Josh Phillips was sentenced

How is someone supposed to grieve the loss of their child, especially when they’re just eight years old and have their life ended by someone they were supposed to trust? It could have been easy for Sheila and Steve to each blame themselves for what happened, but no one could have predicted how Maddie Clifton would leave the world.

In the end, the couple started to grieve in their own ways, which only caused a rift between them both. Sheila and Steve had been together for 30 years since they met in high school. Sadly, the trial and losing Maddie were enough to see them file for a divorce after the sentencing. They simply couldn’t bounce back.

Steve Phillips passed away in a car accident, and Josh wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral

The end of Josh Phillips’ trial was supposed to mean a new chapter for everyone involved, but this was far from the end. On top of the Cliftons going their separate ways, the Phillips family faced more heartbreak in the years after the trial. In 2000, Steve Phillips lost his life in a car accident.

It turned out he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from the car. Melissa tried to have Josh released from prison for the funeral to say his goodbyes, but it was all in vain. Instead, Josh had to grieve for his father from behind bars, with many stating his dad’s drinking might have finally got the better of him.

Josh Phillips has tried to appeal his sentence multiple times

One of the many things people can do after a trial is appeal the verdict. That’s exactly what Josh Phillips did when he was sentenced to life in prison, but it didn’t mean he was about to get out. Instead, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal decided to uphold the decision in 2002 - and this was just the first.

Melissa tried to get another trial in 2004, as she believed that her son’s age at the time of the crime should have played a bigger part than it did. Although she almost got what she wanted as Josh was set to be heard again, the courts have continually upheld the verdict and said Josh needs to remain in prison.

Two officials later confessed they regretted fighting for Josh to receive a life sentence

Things took another major turn in Josh Phillips’ case in 2008 when two of the officials who held the most power when it came to giving the teen a life sentence spoke up for the first time in almost ten years. Sheriff Nat Glover and Harry Shorstein both admitted they had second thoughts about it all.

They added they thought that neither of them should have fought for a 14-year-old to be sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Harry even said that he believed they should have offered Josh a plea for taking someone’s life in the second degree so the judge would have the power to be more lenient with sentencing.

The teen instantly got to work furthering his education while behind bars

Being just a teenager when he was sentenced to life in prison meant that Josh Phillips never finished school. Of course, this isn’t something that has worried many people, as they argue that eight-year-old Maddie Clifton never got to experience most things in her life, as Josh took that away before she had a chance.

Still, Josh has spent his time in prison taking part in the General Educational Development. To start, he was told he was too young. However, that eventually changed as Josh was allowed to take various college classes through correspondence instead. Now, he plans to use his education to help others as best he can from within prison.

Josh Phillips now works as a paralegal and helps other inmates with their appeals

One of the many things that Josh Phillips has done with his time in prison is earn qualifications that now mean he can work as a paralegal. This is someone who has knowledge of the legal system and is allowed to perform legal tasks, and appears to have come in helpful when it comes to Josh’s time behind bars.

This isn’t just with his own case, either. Josh has also been known to help other inmates with their appeals and various other issues. When he’s not working on his education, Josh also participates in yoga, zazen - a type of meditation - Christian religious services, and plays guitar in a prison band. It appears he has plenty to keep himself busy.

Many believe Josh Phillips is putting on a show to get released early

It didn’t take long for Josh Phillips to become quite the recognizable face in prison. Of course, many people initially knew him as the 14-year-old who ended eight-year-old Maddie Clifton’s life, but that has changed throughout the years. In 2017, the prosecution against Josh admitted that he is known as a model prisoner and never gets into trouble.

While plenty of people have been known to turn their lives around during their time in prison, not everyone is convinced that Josh’s transformation is genuine. Many have expressed concerns Josh is merely acting a certain way to try and swing the court in his favor when he is up for an appeal or if he ever gets a retrial.

The Cliftons have never received an apology from Josh Phillips

Not being able to talk at his trial might have been one of the biggest undoings of Josh Phillips’ initial time in court. After all, he never got to defend himself or tell his side of the story in his own words. Instead, he had to sit back and let his lawyer do the talking - something that has been debated.

Josh and Melissa have often fought that Josh should be allowed a retrial purely because they think he was given poor legal advice from day one. It also means that Josh was never on the stand to apologize to the Cliftons. While he was offered to write a letter to the family, the teen refused.

Melissa Clifton states she never wants to see Josh Phillips face to face again

Just because Josh Phillips refused to write a letter to the family of eight-year-old Maddie Clifton didn't mean that he didn't want to apologize. The teen later confessed that he wanted the chance to tell the Cliftons that he was sorry in person as he didn't feel as though he could convey his feelings properly in writing.

Sadly for Josh, Melissa Clifton has no interest in talking to the person who ended her daughter's life. She has regularly refused to meet with Josh and even gone as far as saying that she never wants to see his face again. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been possible for Melissa, thanks to all the appeals Josh has filed.

Josh Phillips’ lawyers used a change in the law to fight for a new trial

Things took a major turn for Josh Phillips and others in 2012, thanks to a change in the law. That was due to the Miller v. Alabama case, where the United States Supreme Court ruled that juveniles can no longer be sentenced to mandatory life sentences. They ruled that it is unconstitutional and includes people who have ended others’ lives.

This meant that anyone who had been sentenced to life behind bars without the chance of parole when they were still just a teenager or child could suddenly have a chance to stand another trial or appeal the sentence they received at the time. Plenty have used this to their advantage, and Josh wanted his turn to fight.

Several people stepped forward to talk about the Josh Phillips they knew

It didn’t take long for Josh Phillips to apply for a retrial after he was initially sentenced to life behind bars for ending the life of eight-year-old Maddie Clifton. It appeared there were plenty of other things that might have also gone in his favor as many started to talk about the Josh they knew before he committed the crime.

People from Josh’s school described him as a “silly little boy” who was never known to cause any trouble. This, teamed with the fact he didn’t have a criminal record before the arrest, was all looking good for Josh. Teachers described how Josh was friendly, while neighbors believed the teen was always friendly and kind to everyone.

Reliving the trial was almost too much for the Clifton family in 2017

Amazingly, 2017 proved to be the year that Josh Phillips was finally handed a resentencing hearing. Although it was a huge moment for Josh and Melissa, it was a devastating blow for the Clifton family. It had been almost two decades since they last held their little girl, and another trial meant they had to live through it all again.

To top it off, Jessie was just a child when she lost her sister and had to grow up not knowing what her little sister would have become. Jessie was also spared several of the gruesome details of her passing, something that was about to be discussed once more now Josh was allowed to fight for a reduced sentence.

Jessie Clifton only learned the full details about Maddie’s passing at the new trial

Even though she was only young when Josh Phillips was first sentenced, Jessie Clifton knew that she didn’t want to see him set free for taking Maddie away from her family. In fact, she was too young at the time of the original trial to even be allowed into the courtroom due to the subject that was being discussed.

All Jessie knew for years was that Josh was the reason that Maddie was no longer in her life, and she didn’t want to see him get out. Some never find comfort when they’ve lost a loved one, even when the person responsible is locked away. Thankfully for Jessie, it appears she gets some comfort from Josh’s sentence.

There were big fears that Josh Phillips might be released from prison

For years, the Cliftons could at least sleep at night knowing Josh Phillips was behind bars and wasn’t going to get out. That was until the change in the law came around as many suddenly started to worry there was a good chance his sentence could be overturned and that Josh would be free to walk the streets again.

After all, Josh ticked all the right boxes as he was underage when he was sentenced. That was until the judge ruled the evidence was enough for Josh to remain locked in prison for the rest of his days, speaking for 30 minutes about how cold and calculated Josh was as he lured Maddie away to her passing.

The new trial meant Josh could finally apologize for ending Maddie Clifton’s life

It might come as little surprise that losing the trial was a major blow for Josh Phillips. However, the court case meant he could finally address Maddie Clifton’s family after so many years. Josh spoke about how he had seen “dark things” during his time in prison and thought about ending his life to make the suffering stop.

Josh continued to speak about how he does “understand pain” but “doesn’t pretend to know or understand” the hurt he has caused Maddie’s family. While Jessie was grateful that Josh had finally apologized to her family, it would never be enough to undo the years of heartache and pain he has caused so many through the years.

Josh Phillips appealed that his sentence was upheld in 2019

Being in prison means that Josh Phillips has plenty of time on his hands. Working as a paralegal also means he has a knowledge of everything he needs to do to give himself the best chance of getting his sentence overturned. Sadly for him, it means nothing if he can’t convince a judge and jury he deserves to be free.

It appears that plenty will never forgive Josh for taking Maddie Clifton’s life, as the Florida District Court of Appeal announced - yet again - that they would uphold the life sentence without the possibility of parole in December 2019. The events surrounding the end of Maddie certainly won’t be forgotten by most people any time soon.

He won’t be eligible for resentencing until 2023 and still might not be released

Just because his sentence has been upheld for now doesn’t mean that will always be the case for Josh Phillips. That’s because the court announced that he will be eligible for another resentencing trial in 2023, so long as he continues to show “maturity and rehabilitation” during his time behind bars. Only time will tell if he can.

Of course, this doesn’t guarantee that Josh will be freed. The family of eight-year-old Maddie Clifton is determined to fight for Josh to remain in prison to serve out his entire sentence, even though it means he will never walk free again, and they’re not alone. Many will never forget Maddie or the life that was taken too soon.