Darryl Glenn Phillips, aged 62, was found guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon by an Austin County Jury before District Judge Jeff Steinhauser on March 7, 2024. The conviction stems from an incident on April 23, 2019, in which Phillips, a resident near New Ulm, was charged with cutting the throat of a man in Industry, Texas, causing severe injury.
Eyewitness testimony played a crucial role in the trial, with several witnesses attesting to seeing Phillips commit the crime. First Assistant District Attorney Brandy Robinson presented the State’s case, alongside District Attorney Travis Koehn, Assistant District Attorney Ben Nystrom, and legal assistant Lisa Tobola. Defense Attorney Stephen Longoria represented Phillips, arguing that the assault occurred in self-defense.
After deliberating for 1 hour and 40 minutes, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Robinson then presented evidence of Phillips being a Habitual Felony Offender, having committed 5 felonies since 1987, primarily in Harris County. Notably, Phillips was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1992 for Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and committed another felony for Possession of a Controlled Substance while on parole in 1997. He also had misdemeanor offenses of Theft, Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, and Possession of Marijuana.
During the trial, evidence was presented that Phillips committed the felony offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance while awaiting trial on his Aggravated Assault charge. The jury deliberated for an additional 2 hours before sentencing Phillips to Life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and assessed a $10,000.00 fine. Phillips will not be eligible for parole consideration until 2053, when he is 92 years old.
“The jurors sent a very clear message with this maximum sentence that our citizens will not tolerate career criminals committing violent crimes in Austin County,” stated First Assistant District Attorney Robinson. “We thank them for their time and for their diligent attention to all the details of this case.”
District Attorney Koehn added, “This case relied almost entirely on honest citizens who were willing to come forward and testify to make sure that justice was done. The victim came within a fraction of an inch of dying from the knife wound. Glenn Phillips is a dangerous man who deserves every day of his life sentence.”
