Shivangi Sinha
In August 2018, police in Anderson, Indiana, were investigating the killings of Trinity Parker and David Phillips, both of whom had disappeared within days of one another. As detectives retraced their final movements, they uncovered link after link connecting numerous individuals to the cases. The investigation soon became increasingly complex, with each lead raising new questions. Detectives focused heavily on interviews and interrogations, but knew that the truth would not be easy. A&E’s ‘Interrogation Raw: I’ll Take Your Birthday’ provides a comprehensive look at the events surrounding the case and the investigation that ultimately led to its resolution.
Trinity Parker and David Phillips Went Missing Within Days of Each Other
On January 24, 1979, Mary Cook and Enrique Santos welcomed their daughter, Trinity Rose Parker, into the world in Monterey Park, California. She was raised alongside her siblings, Jannette Davidson, Brandon Troutman, Keynan Santos, Katherine Cook, and Deborah Byer, in a happy and loving household, and it was the kind of family life she hoped to build for herself one day. Trinity later moved to Anderson, Indiana, where she started a family of her own. Her children, Brittany Gosa, Brandon Chase, and Rebecca Chase, became the center of her life, and she wanted to provide them with the best care and support possible.
David Lamar Phillips II was born on August 11, 1982, to David Sr. and Jacqueline Phillips. He and his siblings, Jamie Lane, Bridget Passmore, and Brena Lasley, spent part of their childhood in Fort Worth, Texas, before the family eventually relocated to Anderson, Indiana. David built his life in the city and took great pride in his children: Evelyn Phillips, Katy-Kay Phillips, Isabel Phillips, David Phillips III, and Benjamin Smith. He was living a simple and ordinary life when it was tragically cut short.
On August 13, 2017, investigators working on the case used cadaver dogs and discovered the badly decomposed remains of David. An autopsy later determined that he had been shot twice in the back of the head with a .22-caliber firearm. The following day, August 14, police also located the remains of Trinity. The official cause of her death was likewise determined to be two gunshot wounds to the back of the head. Because both victims had been killed in a similar manner and the same type of weapon appeared to have been used, detectives believed the two crimes were connected.
Trinity Parker and David Phillips’ Killer Had Many Accomplices Helping Him
The investigation into the crimes had begun even before the victims’ remains were discovered. On August 9, 2017, police were contacted by a man named David Roberts, who claimed that he had witnessed the murder of his girlfriend, Trinity Parker. According to Roberts, the killing had taken place at a rural, abandoned farmhouse in northern Madison County. However, when detectives asked him to lead them to the location, he was unable to do so. He identified Daniel Jones as the perpetrator, and once police confirmed that Trinity had been reported missing, they began looking into him. Investigators soon learned that Daniel was already behind bars on charges related to an incident in which he had allegedly been waving a gun around in a public park.
At the time of Daniel’s arrest, officers found food stamp cards belonging to David Phillips in his possession. This immediately raised suspicions, and based on an anonymous tip, investigators later discovered David’s remains at the Rangeline Nature Preserve. Detectives also learned that a woman named Brittney Vontress might have been connected to the case and began reviewing security footage from August 6, 2017. In the footage, they observed a vehicle arriving near the preserve and three men, including David and Daniel, getting out. The third man was later identified as Jordan Zirkle. Some time later, Daniel and Jordan were seen returning to the vehicle, but David was nowhere to be seen. Investigators believed that this was the point at which David had been killed.
The vehicle seen in the surveillance footage was identified as belonging to a woman named Taylor Wheeler, who was Brittney’s roommate. Police arrested Taylor, Jordan, and Brittney and brought them in for questioning. Investigators learned that they were all part of the same social circle and were allegedly involved in drug activity in the area. Many members of the group used drugs together, and because several of them were also unhoused, detectives believed there could be important connections between them. Based on the statements gathered during the interviews, investigators pieced together a timeline suggesting that Roberts and Trinity were in a relationship.
Trinity Parker and David Phillips’ Killer Tried to Pin the Blame on Others
According to the accounts, Daniel Jones had believed that Trinity Parker was a “snitch”. He had contacted David Roberts and told him that the police were looking for him. Daniel allegedly offered to help the couple by finding them an abandoned house where they could stay safely. Instead, Daniel took Jordan along and ultimately shot Trinity in front of both Jordan and her boyfriend. According to the accounts provided by the other three individuals, by August 6, Daniel had become concerned that Roberts had witnessed Trinity’s killing and was trying to locate him. Investigators learned that Daniel got in touch with David, who was considered a close friend of Roberts. Brittney, who knew David, called him and asked him to come to her house under the pretense of purchasing his food stamps.
Once he arrived, Daniel and Jordan allegedly pressured him to reveal Roberts’ whereabouts. When that plan failed, they drove David to the Rangeline Nature Preserve, where Daniel had shot him. The others told police that they had cooperated only because they were afraid of Daniel and claimed that he had allegedly threatened them. When questioned, however, Daniel maintained that Jordan was the one who fired the fatal shots and that he was being wrongly blamed. However, he did lead them to the house where Trinity’s remains were found. Investigators found that the statements provided by the other witnesses were largely consistent with one another, and Daniel was ultimately charged with two counts of murder and one count of criminal confinement.
Daniel Jones is Behind Bars in an Indiana Prison Today
In connection with the two cases, the four co-defendants, Jordan Zirkle, Brittney Vontress-Cox, Taylor Wheeler, and David Roberts, were also charged with various offenses, including aiding murder and criminal confinement. Daniel Jones initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. However, in April 2020, he changed his plea and admitted guilt in both killings as well as a single count of criminal confinement. He was subsequently sentenced to 60 years for murder, 60 years for aiding, inducing, or causing murder, and 14 years for criminal confinement. Daniel is now 45 years old and he is currently serving an effective 120-year sentence at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Indiana. As of today, there has been no publicly reported direct appeal filed by Jones challenging his convictions or sentence.
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