Double Murder Trial Of Cantonment Man Postponed

June 13, 2011

Trial has been postponed for the man accused of the stabbing death of a pregnant Cantonment woman and her baby.

Phillip Arnold, 65, of Cantonment, is facing two first degree premeditated murder charges for the stabbing deaths of Angela Castella Brown and her newborn child on July 5 in Cantonment.

Arnold appeared before Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Jan Shackelford Friday, at which time his trial was rescheduled. July selection in the accused murderer’s case is now set to begin July 5 — exactly one year to the day after the murder of Angela Brown.

Brown, who was six months pregnant, underwent an emergency C-section after she was stabbed. The newborn, later named Angela Chambers, died just over seven hours after being delivered.

Arnold, 65, of 349 South Chipper Road, fatally stabbed Brown in the chest, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Arnold and Brown were neighbors, and that was their only known connection, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were dispatched to the stabbing at a mobile home at 349 South Chipper Road about 8:35 p.m on July 5. When they arrived, witnesses told deputies that Arnold fled into a nearby wooded area. As deputies were arriving in the area, EMS personnel advised they had seen a black male running down the railroad tracks on South Chipper Road.

Witnesses at the scene reported observing a black male known to them as Arnold running from the scene moments before they discovered the victim, according to the Sheriff’s Office. K-9 officers attempting to track Arnold discovered a knife that was believed to be the murder weapon. As deputies were surrounding the area to search for Arnold, he called sheriff’s dispatchers about 9:10 p.m. Arnold said he was at a home at 2473 Stacey Road and that he wanted to turn himself in. He was taken into custody without incident.

Brown was the mother of seven other children.

Arnold remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.

Comments

6 Responses to “Double Murder Trial Of Cantonment Man Postponed”

  1. David Huie Green on June 15th, 2011 10:10 am

    (by the way, turning yourself in doesn’t mean you agree you are guilty, it means you know they want you so you go to them.)

  2. David Huie Green on June 15th, 2011 10:07 am

    REGARDING:
    “WHy is his trial being postponed”

    The accused has the right to a speedy trial but that doesn’t mean the accused has to HAVE a speedy trial. The public defender for the accused has requested a continuance (delay) in the past. What I see here doesn’t say that is the one who requested it this time but it is at least possible the court delayed the trial date for convenience without objection of the public defender or prosecutor.

    In general, the purpose of a continuance is to allow the defendant’s defender time to prepare for trial so there is no question that the defendant got a fair trial. It might give them time to line up witnesses to support his claim of innocence, get back results of tests on physical evidence supporting his claim of innocence, time to prepare, time to negotiate a plea deal. Then if a jury convicts, there is less question that he received his Constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair trial, thus one less justification for appeal and possible release. Besides, if he IS innocent, wouldn’t you want him free and them going after the real culprit?

    (On a less noble note, sometimes continuances’ real purposes are to give prosecution witnesses time to forget what they saw or die, thus allowing the guilty to walk. That’s never the official reason for request of continuance, but is the real one. I don’t think that applies here, anyway.)

    In this case, the delay is one month, during which time the defendant is behind bars.

    David partially answering question

  3. Polythenepam on June 14th, 2011 3:13 pm

    WHy is his trial being postponed, they need to get that over with, he turned hiself in??????

  4. JIM W on June 13th, 2011 3:43 pm

    Time to face your punishment. I hope they charged you with the baby’s death as well if found guilty may you fry well! Old sparky is just sitting there with your name on it.

  5. Kay on June 13th, 2011 8:43 am

    Yes M I agree. I hope everything is done to keep this kind of lunatic off
    the streets. Things are hard enough these days for people.
    Murder is unacceptable.

  6. M on June 13th, 2011 2:39 am

    Just delaying the inevitable. Bye bye Mr.Arnold, that was my friend’s sister.Hope the judge does everything he can in sentencing.