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Neighbors testify in Baby Kate murder trial

Posted at 11:47 AM, Oct 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-04 11:47:05-04

LUDINGTON, Mich. - The trial of Sean Phillips continued Tuesday with neighbors testifying what they saw the day Baby Kate went missing.

Phillips is accused of killing his four month old baby in 2011.  He is already serving a ten-year sentence for kidnapping the child.  Baby Kate's body has not been found.

Tuesday, a neighbor testified seeing Phillips drive on a rural back road and then return about an hour and a half later.  That turned out to be the day that Kate was last seen.  The neighbor said that later that evening he searched his 20 acres with his dog to see if he could find Kate, but did not.

Sgt. Steve Hansen testified Tuesday about how he gathering clothing, including shoes, from Phillips as evidence on that first day Kate went missing.

Ludington Police Officer Michael Haveman testified about canvassing the area around Baby Kate's mom's apartment.  Another witness, Ellen Montgomery, testified hearing Phillips and the mom, Ariel Courtland, arguing before Phillips took Kate.  Phillips was Kate's biological father.

Other witnesses testified to seeing Sean Phillips at the hospital before Kate went missing.  Phillips was apparently getting a DNA test to see if he was Kate's father.

Darren Cunningham is live tweeting the trial from Ludington - follow him here: https://twitter.com/darrenfox17 .

We'll have live reports from Ludington starting at 4:00pm on FOX 17 News.