New charge for D.C. officer in death of mother, daughter
Monday - 6/6/2011, 6:35pm ET
HILLCREST HEIGHTS, Md. - A D.C. police officer charged in Maryland with murdering a missing 20-year-old woman now faces a manslaughter charge for the death of her infant daughter.
Update: Maryland court records show Metropolitan Police Officer Richmond Phillips, 39, faces one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter in connection with the death of Wynetta Wright and her 1-year-old daughter, Jaylin. A Prince George's County police spokesperson initially said Phillips faced two counts of first-degree murder.
At a hearing Monday, WUSA reports members of Wright's family screamed the words "monster" and "trash" at Phillips as the judge read the charges to him.
Court records show Phillips and Wright were engaged in an ongoing paternity case, and were due in Prince George's County Circuit Court for a hearing.
Police last Thursday found the bodies of Wynetta Wright and Jaylin Wright in the area of Oxon Run Stream Valley Park. Both were last seen May 30.
Police say Wright had obvious trauma to her body and her daughter may have died as a result of heat exposure. She was found in a car, police say.
Wright's green Saturn was recovered in a parking lot in the District.
Metropolitan Police spokesperson Gwendolyn Crump says Phillips is assigned to the First District in D.C. and has been a member of the department since 2003.
His police powers have been revoked, Crump says.
Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier released a statement calling the crime "horrific."
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the Wright family," Lanier says. "As we have seen all too often, domestic violence has its impact on the most innocent victims."
WTOP's Neal Augenstein and Max Smith contributed to this report. Follow Neal, Max and WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2011 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
