GUILTY KY - Phillip 'PJ' Phelps, 24, Madisonville, 4 May 2014

The Madisonville Police Department and the family of Phillip Phelps are seeking his whereabouts. Phillip was last seen on Sunday, May 4th, 2014 at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Murray Street, near Browning Springs Middle School.
This is an active missing persons case and any help from our community would be greatly appreciated.

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During today's testimony, McPeak told the jury about the events leading up to Phelps's death and the days afterward. He took the stand several months after pleading guilty for his role in his death.

He testified he was with Barassi at the time Phelps was stabbed more than twenty times and placed his body in a pond near Nebo, but re-stated that he didn't stab Phelps. McPeak originally told investigators and Phelps's family he last saw Phelps when he dropped him off somewhere. McPeak later admitted to police where Phelps's body really was nearly a week after he was reported missing. McPeak told the jury he lied to investigators at first because he was scared of Barassi.

"Some things I think Zach is lying on, not being really truthful, but do I think Zach McPeak killed my brother? No," says Natasha Phelps, Phillip's sister. "I've known Zach my whole life and he doesn't have enough guts to do something like that."

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Zachary R. McPeak, the 24-year-old accomplice in the murder of his friend, Phillip "PJ" Phelps, has been formally sentenced to amended charges in Hopkins Circuit Court.

Circuit Judge James Brantley sentenced McPeak Tuesday to serve 10 years on complicity to commit first-degree manslaughter and five years for tampering with physical evidence, both to run concurrently, for a total of 10 years in prison, according to court documents.

McPeak was originally charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence along with his acquaintance, 53-year-old Norman M. Barassi, after Phelps' body was found stabbed and submerged in a Nebo pond nearly three years ago.

McPeak pleaded guilty to lesser charges in October as part of a mediation agreement. At that time, Commonwealth's Attorney Kathy Senter agreed to recommend a sentence of 10-20 years for the charges.

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During the more than two hours of testimony, Barassi took the stand and told his side of the story, being the only witness the defense called in this case. He testified it was Zachary McPeak, the former co-defendant who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit 1st degree manslaughter last fall, who stabbed Phelps in a field near the pond Phelps's body was found. Barassi added McPeak threw the knife in the water, not him. He was pressed about how the knife ended up in the pond under cross-examination. Barassi admitted to helping drag the body in to the water. He was also questioned about why he didn't come forward sooner with his account of events to investigators.

In closing arguments, his attorney Rick Boling told the jury there wasn't enough evidence to convict his client. But prosecutors said there was no way McPeak could've killed Phelps. Last week, McPeak, who was testifying for the prosecution, told the jury it was Barassi who stabbed Phelps.

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"Weight off our shoulders. Lots of weight because we didn't think it was actually going to be murder that he would be convicted of," says Natasha Phelps, Phillip's sister, after the verdict came in. "It gives us a little bit of closure, but it still won't bring him back."

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Norman M. Barassi, 53, was sentenced Monday by Circuit Judge James Brantley to serve life imprisonment for the murder, as well as five years imprisonment for tampering with physical evidence, both to run concurrently.

Barassi was found guilty of the charges in January following a five-day jury trial. At that time, the jury recommended Barassi serve his sentences consecutively. However, Brantley explained Monday that Kentucky statutes dictate sentences must be served together if and when a life sentence is imposed.

During sentencing, the defense offered no mitigating factors against life imprisonment, nor did any members of Phelps' family deliver a victim impact statement to the court.

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