14-05-2025
40 years for man plotting murder of his wife while in jail
Madisonville, Tx (FOX 44) – A man accused of plotting the death of his ex-wife by hiring a killer from inside a jail cell has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Forty-three-year-old Philip Carter faced multiple charges in his trial in Madison County, but the big sentence was for solicitation of capital murder. Prosecutors said Carter was angry about a pending divorce and his wife had contacted law enforcement to report he had violated his no-contact order. While in jail, Carter was accused of using a contraband cell phone to provide information about his ex-wife to an inmate he had help bond out. The Madison County Sheriff's Office and Texas Rangers investigated the solicitation of capital murder case.
Carter's violence toward his ex-wife had gone back some time, with evidence presented at his trial that he had abused her since they were 14 years old. Jurors were told he punched her in the face and on her body routinely.
Evidence was presented that on July 14, 2021 he shocked his ex-wife with an electric cattle prod in front of his juvenile daughter. Evidence showed both juvenile daughters observed Carter abuse the victim, fire guns in their house, and state that he wanted her killed. At one point on July 21, 2021 jurors were told Carter beat his ex-wife with a belt and shot at her with a shotgun with intent to injure her. Prosecutors said that in fear of her life, the victim left Madison County with her children to hide out of state. Carter was accused of sending numerous threatening texts such as 'till death do us part' and 'you better run.'
The Madison County Sheriff's Office investigated the aggravated assault with a deadly weapons case.
In February 2022, Carter received a bond to get out of jail with conditions set by Judge Hal Ridley that he was not to contact his ex-wife and that he wear a Global Positioning System monitor. In March 2022 investigators said he removed the monitor and contacted the victim anyway. He then fled, but was arrested in Dallas. Evidence was presented that he was not only angry about the pending divorce, but also because the victim had reported the prohibited contact.
Prosecutors said that in October 2022, Carter told several individuals that he wanted his ex-wife killed and solicited several to kill her. He told them where she lived, what car she drove, how he wanted her killed and when to kill her. It was then he told an inmate that he would get him bonded out if he would kill her.
It was on November 9, 2022 that Carter got the inmate bonded out, arranged a meeting for him to get a weapon and made calls from the jail to get what he called ' the construction deal' completed.
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After a six-week-long trial, Philip Carter was found guilty of solicitation of capital murder, deadly conduct, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, continuous family violence, retaliation, criminal mischief and repeated bond violations.
He will have to serve at least twenty years before becoming eligible for parole.
District Attorney Courtney Cain issued the following statement:
'I am proud of the hard work by law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office for obtaining these convictions. We were finally able to obtain justice for the family in this case. They have lived through a nightmare. Philip Carter is dangerous and the Madison County community is safer with him behind bars.'
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