Man accused of shooting friend believed to have fled to Germany

Suspect charged with manslaughter believed to have fled to Germany

Philip Green, who is accused of fatally shooting his friend in Flagstaff, is believed to have fled to Frankfurt, Germany ahead of an upcoming trial. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas reports.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - It has been one year since a young man was shot to death by his friend in Flagstaff.

What we know:

Police accused the victim's friend of the crime. 

But the suspect was not at his latest scheduled hearing because he is believed to be in Germany, which is causing a lot of frustration for the victim's father.

"I was kind of in disbelief," he said. "I hope they get him."

Dylan Carter, 21, was found dead inside his Flagstaff bedroom on Oct. 13, 2024.

"I'm kind of like wondering how did it happen? Why did it happen?" the father asked.

Dig deeper:

One year later, Carter's father, Lafonzo Rachal-Carter, said his questions remain unanswered.

"Oh, my son means everything," Rachal-Carter said. "And he was my best friend, my buddy, you know, that's my son. That's all I have in his world."

Prosecutor's charged Carter's friend, 20-year-old Philip Green, with one count of manslaughter. Green claimed the shooting was "accidental" and was released on bond. 

"For him to post bond, you know, that was kind of like a slap in our face," Rachal-Carter said. "When he killed somebody you should go to jail. Especially the way my son was killed."

What's next:

Recently, Flagstaff police confirmed Green fled to Frankfurt, Germany. During a scheduled hearing on Oct. 7 for the upcoming trial, police and a Coconino County prosecutor informed the judge that Green had reportedly taken off. 

"You know Phillip was supposed to take a plea deal roughly between 4 and 10 years. He opted out on that, and, so now we're going to go to trial," Rachal-Carter said. "That starts in February."

Green's attorney said he had "no comment" at this time.

What they're saying:

While waiting for justice, Rachal-Carter is now making a public plea for Green to return to face trial. 

"He needs to turn himself in, and he needs to tell the truth. And, you know, and do the right thing so we all can have peace," Rachal-Carter said. "At least I would like to know how my son was murdered."