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March 13, 2008

FORT LEONARD WOOD WOMAN CHARGED WITH KILLING INFANT DAUGHTER
COMPLAINT ALLEGES DEATH WAS CAUSED BY NEGLECT

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a woman at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was charged in federal court today with killing her infant daughter.

Kristin Marie Phillips, 33, of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was charged with killing her 11-month-old daughter, Alexis Phillips, by depriving her of nourishment in the perpetration of child abuse in a federal criminal complaint that was filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield. Phillips' husband is a soldier who was deployed to Iraq at the time of the alleged offense but has since returned to Fort Leonard Wood.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Emergency Medical Services and the Military Police at Fort Leonard Wood responded to two 911 calls received from Phillips' residence at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2008. Upon arrival, EMS and MPs found a deceased female infant, Alexis Phillips, lying in the arms of her mother, Kristin Phillips.

Kristin Phillips was transported to the hospital for treatment along with the victim, Alexis Phillips, who was pronounced dead by the emergency room doctor at about 10 p.m. An autopsy was conducted.

Kristin Phillips' three other children were also found in the residence-a 2-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl. The three surviving children have been placed in the custody of the Department of Social Services.

Wood cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Kelleher. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation Division of the United States Army.