Police arrested a 58-year-old Sarasota man in connection with a Bradenton murder that has gone unsolved since 2023.
Michael Alonzo Phillips is charged with first-degree premeditated murder after investigators say he organized the killing of Dwight Sutton by pretending to need help fixing his car and luring the 56-year-old to his death.
Once Sutton was outside his house and in a “vulnerable” position working underneath the vehicle, investigators say Phillips signaled to a gunman, who proceeded to fatally shoot Sutton in what some witnesses described as a revenge killing over a burglary.
Sutton told a neighbor the night before the murder there was a $500 hit on him for breaking into someone’s house, according to arrest records.
The shooter has not been identified or arrested, police say.
“We believe Phillips orchestrated the murder, but continue to work to identify the shooter and develop probable cause to arrest that person and any other individuals who may have been involved in the crime,” said Meredith Censullo, a spokesperson for the Bradenton Police Department.
Phillips’ attorney declined to provide comment to the Bradenton Herald.
Fatal shooting was a set-up, Bradenton police say
On March 19, 2023, The Bradenton Police Department responded to a call about a shooting in the 700 block of 17th Street Court East. When officers arrived, they say they found Sutton with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers and emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Sutton died at the scene.
Police first identified Phillips as a “person of interest” in connection with Sutton’s death shortly after the shooting, but said he was not considered a suspect at the time.
But after reviewing evidence, which included phone records and CCTV footage that appeared to show Phillips “signaling the shooter over,” detectives say they have probable cause that Phillips was involved in a pre-meditated murder.
Investigators say that day in March 2023, Phillips was driving his girlfriend’s car, a black Nissan Altima, when he knocked on Sutton’s home and asked him if he “was able to work on his bumper for him.”
As Sutton was working underneath the Altima, detectives say camera footage acquired from a house across the street shows Phillips waving a masked person wearing all-black clothing forward, who then shot Sutton multiple times using a .40 caliber handgun before fleeing on foot.
Autopsy: Victim shot 14 times
Video shows Phillips “distancing himself” after Sutton is shot as he “immediately sits in the driver seat of the Nissan once bystanders start gathering around,” according to arrest records.
An autopsy later revealed Sutton suffered 14 gunshot wounds, according to arrest records.
Some witnesses told detectives the murder may have been in retaliation.
During a conversation the night before the shooting, a neighbor said Sutton told him his “own family put a $500 hit on him for breaking into his mother’s house” and accused him of “stealing jewelry,” according to arrest records.
Detectives say the “mother” is not related to Sutton but someone he looked up to like a mother.
Detectives said Phillips and this “mother” figure exchanged over a dozen calls in the two hours leading up the shooting, including two calls less than 15 minutes before the shooting.
Murder investigation still underway, police say
Bradenton police arrested Phillips in Sarasota County on July 5 before transferring him to Manatee County, court records show.
Phillips was scheduled to make his first appearance in court on July 12, but “refused to be transported” for a pre-trial detention hearing, according to court records. The State decided not to proceed with the hearing, with Circuit Judge Matt Whyte instead ruling that Phillips must remain in custody until a later hearing determines whether he can be held without bond leading up to a potential trial.
Phillips is next set to appear in court on Aug. 30, according to court records.
The homicide investigation is still active, Censullo said.
The agency said there is an $8,000 reward for information in this case through Crime Stoppers and the Gold Star Club of Manatee County. To be eligible for the Crime Stoppers reward, tips must be made to Crime Stoppers.
Anyone with information can also reach out privately to Detective Brian Sands at brian.sands@bradentonPD.com or (941) 932-9312 .
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