Buckeye unsolved homicide: Family prepares to increase reward for answers
Buckeye homicide investigation: Police seek tips in murder of Tyrone Phillips
The family of 52-year-old Tyrone Phillips are asking the public for information two years after he was found shot to death outside his Buckeye residence. A reward of up to $2,000 for details is being offered in the case.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Authorities need help in a two-year-old homicide case that left the victim, 52-year-old Tyrone Phillips dead.
What we know:
The murder happened June 8, 2024, when Phillips was found shot outside the gated area in front of his home in Buckeye on Airport Road, just north of Elliot Road.
Two years later, Phoenix Police say it's all the details they have.
Local perspective:
Phillips' mother, Doris, and his cousin, Andrea, spoke about hitting the two-year mark and what the past two years have been like for them.
"It’s been extremely difficult for me, dealing with the death of my son and knowing that the killers are still roaming around out there somewhere," Doris said. "My family has been suffering over this, you know, not getting answers. And all we’re looking for is closure and justice for my son."
What they're saying:
When asked what Phillips was like, his mother shared details about his life and passions.
"Well, he was very…my son was an outgoing person," Doris said. "He loved people. He loved his family. He loved to ride horses. He was an athlete in Yuma. He was a track star, the top track star there. And he did a lot of things to help people. That was my son."
Dig deeper:
Andrea described what he was like as a cousin.
"Very sweet, very loving," Andrea said. "He was. He’s a brother, a son, a grandfather, you know, and he had a lot of people who loved him. And I think, you know, no one deserves this. No one deserved what happened to him. She doesn’t deserve this. Her family has been through a lot, and for us, it’s just a matter of someone out there knows something. If you know something, say something, call Silent Witness. No one will know who you are. You can be anonymous, collect the reward, you know, for information. But there’s nothing worse than having to go through the grieving process and then not be able to have justice for what’s happened. That’s just a horrible way to be."
Why you should care:
Even the smallest detail could make a big impact on the case.
"Yeah, that’s the thing we always tell people, we tell the public without the public, this case is not going to be solved," Fisher said. "Two years later. So hopefully someone calls for a witness and just don’t do it for the reward either. Do it because it’s the right thing to do. And whatever information you may have, just call us, give us the info, we’ll pass it on to detective and we’ll go from there."
What you can do:
Anyone that has information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered in this case.
"Hopefully somebody will call, give us a tip. And all the information that we receive will give it over to the detective that’s assigned to the case. And hopefully one year, you know, one day we’ll get a case closure here," Detective Mike Fischer said.
"I want to let everybody know that we are getting ready to add more to the reward in hopes that someone will speak out and say something," Doris added. "So if you know something, please say something."
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Detective Mike Fischer and the mother and cousin of Tyrone Phillips.