Mass. man who ‘ordered’ fatal shooting at 20 granted parole after decades in prison
A former gang leader was granted parole in a unanimous decision by the Massachusetts Parole Board 30 years after he played a part in the killing of a 21-year-old man in Dorchester.
Phillip Jones was 20 when he "ordered" the fatal shooting of Jesse Shamele Baker, handing a loaded gun to the man who would eventually pull the trigger on Sept. 5, 1995. Jones was found guilty of being an accessory before the fact to Baker's killing and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A Supreme Judicial Court decision early last year made Jones eligible for parole when the state's highest court struck down sentences of life without parole for emerging adults — those between 18 and 20. Jones appeared before the board for an initial hearing on April 10.
On the day of the shooting, three men affiliated with the gang — referred to by the parole board only as a "Security Threat Group" — met Baker on the way to Navillus Terrace in Dorchester, where Jones lived. The men, including Corey Walker, who would eventually shoot Baker, confronted the 21-year-old about his involvement in the shooting of a member of the gang. Baker also owed Jones money at the time, according to the board's decision.
When the group reached Jones' front porch, he joined in the argument, saying he "always wanted to do something to" Baker. Jones retrieved a loaded revolver, handed it to Walker, and told him to "do what you got to do" if Baker continued to argue. Walker hid the gun under his shirt.
Eventually, Jones nodded to Walker, essentially signaling him to shoot Baker. After the shooting, Baker fled the scene.
Jones later admitted to a witness that he gave Walker the gun, told him to kill Baker, and gave Walker the signal to shoot, according to the board's decision.
Walker was freed on parole last year , after being convicted of second-degree murder.
In its decision, the board found Jones had invested in his rehabilitation before becoming parole eligible. He has not been disciplined since 2008 and earned a GED while incarcerated. Jones also presents a "strong vocational commitment" through a barbership program.
One person spoke in support of Jones' parole at his hearing, while a Suffolk County prosecutor opposed his release. By unanimous decision, the board found Jones showed a level of rehabilitation that would "make his release compatible with the welfare of society."
As conditions of release, Jones must be supervised for drugs and alcohol, must have no contact with the victim's family or with Walker, the co-defendant, and undergo mental health counseling for adjustment. Jones is also required to attend a residential program at Community Resources for Justice, which offers programming for people being released from prison.
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