Dateline: The Accused - Who killed Garrett Phillips and where is he now? Disturbing details of the 2011 incident, revisited 

Dateline: The Accused, which aired on September 20. 2016 re-visited the harrowing murder of a 12-year-old boy, Garrett Phillips, in Potsdam, New York, which shook his entire community.

In 2011, Garrett was found almost dead in his apartment by strangulation when his neighbors heard his screams and called the police. He was immediately admitted to a hospital, but he did not make it.

Garrett's mother's ex-boyfriend, Nick Hillary, a soccer coach, was arrested for his murder but was found not guilty. He lost his job and reputation after his trial and continues to stay with his family. Phillips' murderer was never found.

More on Dateline: The Accused in our story.

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Dateline: The Accused- Nick Hillary was found not guilty in Garrett Phillips' murder

After the initial investigation and Garrett's mother's statement, the police arrested Nick Hillary on the charge of second-degree murder.

Tandy Cyrus, Phillips' mother, and Nick met in 2010 at a local bar and bonded over their shared interest in soccer. At the time, Tandy was dating sheriff's deputy John Jones, and her budding friendship with Nick created problems in their lives.

Tandy eventually broke up with John and started a relationship with Nick, which did not sit right with her sons, and the couple eventually broke up.

After Dateline victim Garrett's murder in September 2016, Nick went on a Bench trial, where Judge Felix Catena pronounced him not guilty. As reported by ABC News, Nick's trial reinstated his faith in the system, which proved his innocence.

Nick is a father of five and has worked with children all his life as a soccer coach at Clarkson University. In a report by ABC News, Nick stated his innocence before his trial:

"I have absolutely nothing to do with what has happened to Garrett. Why would I even want to hurt a child, after having worked with kids for over two decades? It just blows my mind."

His trial was also marked with many racist comments and judgments, on which he opened up on ABC's 20/20:

"For them [the police] to have abused their power, because that’s what they did, they totally abused their power, to humiliate me and shame me. I wanted and still do to make certain that they will not do that to any other human being, regardless of the color of their skin, black or white, going forward."

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Dateline: The Accused- What happened to Nick Hillary after the trial?

While Nick Hillary was found guilty of Dateline victim Garrett's murder, his life completely changed after the incident.

An HBO documentary titled Who killed Garrett Phillips was also revealed, which shed light on Nick's life after the trial. He lost his job and reputation as a soccer coach because even after his nonguilty verdict, people, including Tandy's ex, saw him with accusing eyes.

In an interview with Mel Magazine, he opened up on his life after the trail:

"You apply for a job, they will do their background check. That tells me that I will forever be in a disadvantaged position going forward unless I’m able to eradicate all this negative stuff around my name from the internet. And I don’t even think that’s remotely possible."

Since he could not find a job, he volunteered to coach the youth soccer team and worked nights at a company. Many people involved in the case believe that the police wrongfully accused Nick because he was the only black man in the vicinity.

This not only left a negative impact on his personal and professional life but Dateline victim Garrett Phillips' murderer was also never found to this date.

Also Read: Dateline: The Accused - 5 harrowing details about Garrett Phillips' murder,

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