Madelyn Clifton

Madelyn Rae Clifton

June 17, 1990 - November 3, 1998

Madelyn "Maddie" was born on June 17, 1990. She was a happy little girl who had many friends. One day she went over to her fourteen year old neighbor's house. He and Maddie had played many times before.

The two were playing baseball when her neighbor, Josh Phillips, accidentally hit her in the head with the ball. Josh carried Maddie into his house and put her on the floor. She started to make noise and cry. Josh was afraid of what his father would do if he saw that he had let Maddie into the house, and he was afraid of getting in trouble for hurting her.

Maddie kept screaming and crying. In a panic, he beat her with a baseball bat and stabbed her several times. He then hid her body under his bed. Josh had no previous record of any violence whatsoever. Madelyn was reported missing, but no one ever suspected that her fourteen year old neighbor and friend had anything to do with it, until his mother came into his room about a week after her death and saw something oozing from under her son's bed. He was at school at the time. His mother lifted the bed and discovered Maddie's body. She immediately called the police. Josh was interviewed later saying that he lived in a fantasy world afterwards and just ignored Maddie's body under his bed, even taking flashlights outside to go and look for her. He admitted that he wanted to take his actions back, but it was too late. He was sentenced to life without parole for murdering Maddie.