JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a case that rocked the Jacksonville community and gained national attention, 8-year-old Maddie Clifton was murdered by her 14-year-old neighbor Joshua Phillips in November 1998. Phillips, who has been serving life in prison, returns to a Duval County courtroom Monday in preparation for his sentencing review. 

Clifton was first reported missing in November of 1998. Seven days later she was found under Phillips’ waterbed. She was badly beaten and stabbed. Phillips was convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Phillips was later resentenced to life in prison in 2017 with an automatic review after he serves 25 years. This is due to a supreme court ruling that deemed it unconstitutional to automatically impose life sentences on juveniles without a chance for parole.

A hearing is now set for Monday to schedule Phillips’ sentencing review. 

Attorney Shannon Schott said a judge will have to consider certain factors, like whether he has shown maturity and remorse, and his behavior in prison.

“The emphasis becomes less about what he did in the late 90’s, and more about who he is as a person today and if he should be entitled to be free in society,” Schott said.

Once a date is set the sentencing review, Schott said the public defender’s office will begin looking into the last 25 years of Phillips’ life.

“What’s going to happen in the next few weeks is the public defenders office is going to reopen their case, they will look into what has been happening with Joshua Phillips over the last 25 years, and they will start preparing their arguments for why he should have a meaningful opportunity for release,” Schott said.