A Mastic man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for stabbing his housemate to death.
On June 30, 2023, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Philip Walker stabbed Jimmy Vaughn inside a room at the Shirley Motel on Montauk Highway. When paramedics arrived, Vaughn, 63, was found outside of the room, bleeding from the left side of his chest and abdomen. He was taken to Long Island Community Hospital, where doctors attempted but failed to repair the hole in his heart. Vaughn was pronounced dead at approximately 6:20 p.m.
Walker fled from the motel after the incident, but Suffolk County Police officers arrested him on July 2, 2023, at a family member’s home in North Amityville.
On February 14, 2025, Walker, 58, pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis to Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony. On April 14, 2025, Wilutis sentenced Walker to 20 years in prison
“Today’s 20-year sentence reflects the gravity of this senseless, violent act. While the defendant’s guilty plea acknowledges responsibility for his actions, it does not diminish the tragedy of a life cut short,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Justice requires that we hold all individuals accountable for their violent actions, and this sentence ensures just that.”