Ralph "Bucky" Phillips' journey through Western New York was much different this time around.
In contrast to his time as an outlaw on the lam through much of the summer, the shackled career criminal was paraded through three courtrooms over two days this week, admitting guilt in a bloody, five-month rampage.
"Guilty as hell," Phillips replied Thursday when State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr. asked him if he was guilty of escaping from the Erie County jail in Alden.
Now Phillips is back in the Chautauqua County Jail, where he will be watched by "old friends" as he awaits his sentencing later this month in the killing of a state trooper and wounding of two others.
Kloch asked Phillips if he was being treated well by Chautauqua County jail officials.
"Oh, yes. We're old friends," he responded, apparently referring to past incarcerations there.
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Phillips will remain in that jail until at least Dec. 19, when he is sentenced to life in prison without parole for the fatal shooting of Trooper Joseph A. Longobardo and for critically wounding Trooper Donald H. Baker Jr. on Aug. 31 in the Town of Stockton.
On Dec. 20, Phillips will go to Chemung County Court for sentencing in the June 10 shooting of Trooper Sean Brown, who has since returned to work.
Longobardo's widow and the two surviving troopers and their families passed on attending the court proceedings this week, but some are expected to attend Phillips' sentencing, when they will have the chance to make statements.
Once he is sentenced, Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards said, Phillips will "hopefully in short order be sent off to the state penitentiary."
Phillips' appearance in Kloch's heavily guarded Buffalo courtroom marked the completion of his guilty pleas in Erie, Chautauqua and Chemung counties in the past two days.
In pleading guilty to escaping from Erie County Correctional Facility, Phillips agreed that he is a man with a lengthy arrest record involving convictions on multiple charges of burglary, grand larceny and the sale of marijuana.
He also agreed with Erie County Assistant District Attorney Dan Killelea's assessment that he is a persistent felon, which means Phillips faces a more severe sentence for his April 2 jail break. Normally, the prison sentence would be several years, but as a persistent felon it will be 15 years to life when he is sentenced here Dec. 19.
Chemung County District Attorney John R. Trice, who was present in the courtroom, later said he was bothered by Phillips' demeanor.
"The one disappointing thing is there was no show of remorse. It was, 'I did it.' He was very matter-of-fact," Trice said.
News Staff Reporter Dan Herbeck contributed to this report.
e-mail: lmichel@buffnews.com
