Phillip Baldwin dies in fatal Prairie Township assault

Phillip Baldwin dies in fatal Prairie Township assault

Fatal Prairie Township assault death of Phillip Baldwin – Obituary

Authorities in Franklin County have identified the man found deceased in a Prairie Township residence on May 1 as 62-year-old Phillip Baldwin. According to court filings, Baldwin was discovered unresponsive inside a home on the 6500 block of Hall Road and was pronounced dead shortly before 4:40 p.m. that day.

Two individuals, 42-year-old Anthony Kuhn and 42-year-old Nichole Adkins, are facing murder charges related to Baldwin’s death.

Detectives interviewed multiple individuals, including the man who reported Baldwin’s condition, a witness, and Adkins. The reporting individual told officers he had left the house shortly after midnight to take a roommate to the hospital. When he returned around 3:30 a.m., he found the residence in disarray and several items missing. He did not see Baldwin at that time and assumed he was asleep.

The witness recounted to police that he had met with Kuhn in a trailer parked in the driveway of the home. At around 12:30 a.m., Adkins came back from work and later entered the house to shower. Kuhn followed shortly after. About half an hour later, the witness said Kuhn returned to the trailer in a panicked state, saying he couldn’t believe what had just happened, although he didn’t specify what occurred.

The three then drove to the Wedgewood Apartments to purchase drugs. Afterward, they stopped at a sewer where Adkins allegedly disposed of Baldwin’s wallet and work hat. Later, they visited an apartment complex on Fisher Road where Kuhn is said to have discarded medication bottles, baseball cards, and the clothing he was wearing during the incident.

Adkins corroborated much of the witness’s account. She told detectives she heard a disturbance while showering and, upon exiting, saw Kuhn with blood on his face holding a baseball bat. Kuhn reportedly handed her the bat and instructed her to stand by the door. Adkins admitted to helping dispose of Baldwin’s belongings, including the wallet, hat, medications, and Kuhn’s clothing.

Investigators recovered the discarded items, including a dark green shirt with suspected blood stains. Kuhn, during questioning, acknowledged being present with Adkins and the witness and confirmed their trip to Wedgewood. When told Baldwin was deceased, Kuhn asked for legal representation.

Both Kuhn and Adkins are being held on $2 million bonds for murder, with Adkins facing an additional $1 million bond for evidence tampering.