Man found guilty of manslaughter in Cedar County murder case

HARTINGTON, Neb. (KCAU) — A Louisiana man has been found guilty of manslaughter for the shooting death that that took place near Hartington, Neb.

Friday night, a jury in Cedar County District Court found David Phillips, 22, of Kenner, Louisiana, guilty of manslaughter for the March 2023 shooting death of Israel Matos-Colon , 31. The class 2A manslaughter charge had been amended from a second-degree murder charge, a B felony. Phillips was also found not guilty of using a firearm to commit a felony and possessing a stolen firearm.

The trial started on Monday with jury selection and opening statement on Tuesday.

Matos-Colon’s death happened near the intersection of Highway 57 and 885 Road at a tower worksite on the morning of March 1, 2023, according to court documents . Officials were first called to the location at 9:09 a.m. for a shooting. Officials arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures on Matos-Colon and he was pronounced dead later that morning after being taken to the nearest hospital.

Phillip was arrested at the scene for possession of a Glock Model G19 Gen 5 9 MM handgun with a 30-round magazine containing 22 live 9 MM rounds. The documents specified that one casing from the magazine had been spent. Phillips was formally charged with murder the next day.

Phillip had pleaded not guilty to the crimes in late March 2023 .

Sentencing for Phillips is scheduled for the morning of July 22.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.