Suspect in Staunton slaying appears in court seeking a release on bond
STAUNTON — A suspect in a March slaying at the Howard Johnson motel in downtown Staunton was denied bond Tuesday morning following a hearing in circuit court.
Rodney D. Phillips Jr., 35, is charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Jonathan M. Jacobs, 39, of Staunton. A second victim was also shot in the leg, police said.
The shooting took place the morning of March 8 inside a 4th-floor room at the motel, where authorities found Jacobs. He died at the scene.
During a search of the motel room, investigators collected numerous pieces of clothing, a wallet, jewelry, less than $50 in cash and coins, pills, a white powder substance, two scales, and two cell phones, according to a search warrant. Two shell casings were also found at the scene.
Tuesday in Staunton Circuit Court —where Phillips was appealing a previous decision that denied him bond in general district court — a former neighbor described the suspect as outgoing and charismatic, and said he was a doting father to his 7-year-old daughter. Phillips' pastor testified he is a kind and caring person, and said he joined the Calvary United Methodist Church in Stuarts Draft around 2018.
Phillips testified via a jail video monitor, and said if released on bond he'd be open to home electronic monitoring. Phillips noted he wanted to resume providing for his daughter, who was placed in the care of her mother in Oklahoma after he was jailed.
"She doesn't like Oklahoma," Phillips said.
Prior to his arrest, Phillips said he was a health benefits advisor for Aflac and was transitioning to a new company, Colonial Life. Phillips also said he's embroiled in a pending lawsuit against Walmart Inc. and said he's been offered a settlement. He said those funds could be used to pay for home electronic monitoring if need be. Waynesboro civil court records show the lawsuit was filed in February.
When asked if he had a residence to live in if released from Middle River Regional Jail on bond, Phillips said he could go back to his Packard Street rental in Staunton, where he claimed squatters had taken up residence but had since been removed.
"They are long gone," he said. "We did work out an agreement."
But Phillips' former landlord was in court, and she visibly disagreed with his comments and shook her head as he spoke. Later, the landlord testified that there was no agreement in place for Phillips' return, and said she had to take legal action in February to force him to pay rent. She also noted he'd been mentioning a supposed financial settlement with Walmart for more than a year.
"I don't believe it exists," the landlord said of the settlement offer. "He's a con man."
In arguing against bond, Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney Jeff Gaines said Phillips was armed the day of the slaying, even though he'd received information that the victim was unarmed. After the slaying, Gaines said Phillips, who is originally from Oklahoma, fled the scene, hid a pistol on a neighbor's porch, changed his clothing, and removed the license plates from his vehicle.
Police caught him on the day of the shooting during a traffic stop on Lacy B. King Way in Staunton.
In arguing against bond, Gaines said Phillips, who has no prior criminal history, is a flight risk and a danger to the community. Circuit Judge Anne Reed denied bond, and Phillips remains jailed.
Phillips also faces additional charges of malicious wounding and shooting inside an occupied dwelling, along with two charges of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being represented by attorney Jessica Sherman-Stoltz.
A preliminary hearing is set for July 3 in Staunton General District Court.
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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Suspect in Staunton slaying appears in court seeking a release on bond
