Our card this week is John Phillips, the Jack of Diamonds from Rhode Island. Nineteen-year-old John Phillips was found dead and surrounded by dozens of weapons in a Rhode Island parking lot on October 28, 1986. His death was ruled a suicide, and for 15 years, the case was considered closed. But in 2001, after taking a closer look at the case files, detectives realized something didn’t quite add up… Today, they’re still working to uncover exactly what… or who… brought John to his death that October day. If you have any information about the suspicious death of John Phillips in North Kingstown, Rhode Island in October 1986, you can reach Captain MacCoy directly at [email protected] or you can call the North Kingstown PD at 401-294-3316 extension 8211. You can also send a direct message to detectives through the facebook page located here.If you or someone you know is in crisis or feeling suicidal, please reach out for help by calling the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, where trained counselors are available 24/7 to provide support.View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/john-phillips Let us deal you in… follow The Deck on social media.Instagram: @thedeckpodcast | @audiochuckTwitter: @thedeckpodcast_ | @audiochuckFacebook: /TheDeckPodcast | /audiochuckllcTo support Season of Justice and learn more, please visit seasonofjustice.org. The Deck is hosted by Ashley Flowers. Instagram: @ashleyflowersTikTok: @ashleyflowerscrimejunkieTwitter: @Ash_FlowersFacebook: /AshleyFlowers.AF Text Ashley at 317-733-7485 to talk all things true crime, get behind the scenes updates, and more!
Full Episode
Our card this week is John Phillips, the Jack of Diamonds from Rhode Island. At 19 years old, John's positive energy was so contagious that those around him nicknamed him Sunshine. He spent his free time fishing with his dad, playing baseball, and helping neighbors with their yard work. And in the grand scheme of life, it felt like his story was just beginning.
But in reality, his story would come to a tragic end on an October night in 1986 when John was found dead, killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. His death was ruled a suicide, and for about 15 years the case was considered closed. But in 2001, everything everyone thought they knew about this case changed. And they realized perhaps it wasn't so open and shut after all.
I'm Ashley Flowers, and this is The Deck. It was 6.30 a.m. on October 28th, 1986, when two police officers sat down for breakfast at their usual spot in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The morning was unfolding like any other until a man walked into the diner and rushed toward the officer's table.
He told them that he was driving with his wife in the parking lot across the street when he noticed something strange out of his window. And when he got closer and realized that it was a body lying on the concrete, he went over to the diner because he noticed the officer's police cars parked in the lot.
Abandoning their breakfast, the cops followed this witness across the street to where the fully clothed body of a man was lying slightly curled up on his side, almost in the fetal position.
I mean, the scene itself, you know, it's just, there's a wow factor to it. You know, I mean, there was definitely a dramatic flair to it.
That was Captain John McCoy with the North Kingstown Police Department. The victim in the parking lot had suffered a gunshot wound to the right temple. And strangely, there was also this arsenal of weapons all around the body. I mean, rifles, handguns, hunting knives, and ammunition. Newspapers at the time reported anywhere from half a dozen to 15 weapons were there.
And they were all around and underneath this man. Some of the weapons were even stuffed into his pants pockets and waistband.
While this activity is going on, a younger person happened to come from walking from one of the neighborhoods close by and recognize that, hey, that looks like John Phillips, who lives down in the Pottawatomie area. In that particular area, a lot of the kids knew each other. When we find out he's from Potawatomi, we don't have an address.
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