Interview: Baby Kate jury foreman

LUDINGTON, Mich. (WWTV/WOOD) - Jury Foreman Jacob Lokers was tasked with reading the verdict for Sean Phillips, who was accused of the June 2011 disappearance of his 4-month-old daughter Baby Kate, on Friday.

The jury found Phillips guilty of unlawful imprisonment of Kate. He now faces 15 years in prison.

-- Photos: The trial of Sean Phillips --

"I know when I read the verdict, I got a little bit of tears in my eyes afterwards because it was a release after that of everything that happened," Lokers told Ann Marie La Flamme of 9 and 10 News out of Traverse City.

Lokers told 9 and 10 News that five key pieces of evidence convinced the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Phillips is guilty: The car seat and baby bag found in Phillips' car, mother Ariel Courtland's missing phone, Kate's clothes found in Phillips' pocket, and a note found in his jail clothes.

"The letter was a huge part in us convicting Sean," Lokers told 9 and 10 News. "To us, that was a confession. I mean, it was equal to a confession."

Lokers said the biggest game-changer was when the jury submitted a question to the judge during deliberation regarding Courtland.

"We wanted to know, if she knew about it, could she still find Sean guilty?" explained Lokers. "And the judge came back and said, 'Yes, it's hiding the Kate from the people of the State of Michigan,' so that weighed heavy on us."

At that point, Lokers said, the jury disregarded almost all of Courtland's day-and-a-half worth of testimony.

"I think it would have probably changed the verdict. It would have probably been not guilty because we wouldn't have been able to decide whether Ariel knew or not," said Lokers.

Lokers told 9 and 10 News the jury found Courtland emotional and thought many of her stories didn't add up.

But when they read the law line-by-line in their jury handbook, the decision was clear to all 12 jurors.
 
"My main thing was the permission. Unlawful permission means without permission. When Ariel called and said, 'I want my daughter back,' that rescinded permission for him to have Kate," said Lokers. "When she called 911, she rescinded permission to have Kate, so that changed me."