The trial date has been continued to June 20 for a 31-year-old Oregon man charged with first-degree murder in the May 2010 stabbing death of Seth Frankel a city of Kent employee and Auburn resident.
William L. Phillip Jr., of Portland, received an April 10 trial date in October. But Phillip’s attorney requested and received a continuance last month from King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts for more time to investigate the case, according to court documents.
Phillip remains in custody at the county jail at the Regional Justice Center with bail set at $1 million. He pleaded not guilty March 21, 2011 to a first-degree murder charge.
Frankel, 41, a city video-program coordinator, was killed May 21, 2010 in his Auburn home. He was discovered the following day by a neighbor who was checking on his welfare, and who looked through a window, spotting the body.
Prosecutors allege that Phillip, a former boyfriend of the woman Frankel dated, drove to Auburn to kill Frankel because he was angry that someone else was dating the woman. Detectives connected Phillip to the murder through a blood-stained towel found at Frankel’s house as well as cellphone records that put Phillip near the home the night of Frankel’s death.
Frankel’s girlfriend tipped off detectives that Phillip could be the one who killed Frankel. She said Phillip wanted a romantic relationship with her and spoke badly about Frankel even though he had never met him, according to charging papers. Phillip had seen a photo of Frankel that the girlfriend had.
Auburn Police – with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service – arrested Phillip in December 2010 in Portland in connection with Frankel’s death.
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