Baby Kate case: Phillips to stand trial

LUDINGTON, Mich. (WOOD) - The man accused of kidnapping still missing 5-month-old "Baby Kate" from her Ludington home was ordered Wednesday to stand trial, after investigators testified that the girl's clothes were found in Sean Phillips' pocket the day she went misssing.

Phillips, who sat in court dressed in an orange jumpsuit and a bulletproof vest, will remain in jail, at least for now. Judge Peter Wadel continued the $500,000 bond keeping the defendant in custody.

With tears in her eyes, Katherine Phillips' mother, Ariel Courtland, testified that the clothes -- along with a diaper bag and a car seat found in Sean Phillips' car -- were indeed Kate's.

A Ludington police officer testified that he and a Mason County sheriff's deputy found the items on the day of the disappearance -- June 29 -- during their first in-person conversation with Phillips.

He was pacing, nervous, had a twitching muscle and maintained a boxing stance toward the officer, investigators testified.

Before the clothes were discovered, the investigators said Phillips told them the Kate was with Courtland, her mother. But he later told the Ludington officer that he was not telling the "whole truth," the officer and the sheriff's deputy both testified.

The lawyer representing Phillips honed in on the fact that her client had plenty of time to dispose of the clothes and other items if he felt he had something to hide.

Courtland testified earlier that Phillips wanted to abort the child -- and later repeatedly said the two should give Kate up for adoption.

The 19-year-old mother said Phillips again talked about putting Kate up for adoption on June 29, the day she went missing and the day the baby was set to take a test to determine if Phillips was the father.

The defense tried to argue that Courtland, too, wanted to have someone adopt the baby -- and forced her to admit she filled out at least portions of unsubmitted adoption paperwork.

When the prosecutor followed up, Courtland said Phillips threatened that she would never see her other daughter again if she didn't work toward an adoption.

Courtland admitted under cross-examination that she had told Phillips she and their other daughter missed him, but told prosecutors it was part of an effort to convince Phillips to tell her where Kate could be found.

No trial date was set Wednesday.

The Ludington/Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce has set up a reward fund in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Mason-Oceana 911 at 231.869.5858, or Silent Observer at 1.888.STOPCRIME (888-786-7274), going to WWW.LSOTIP.COM or texting LSOTIP and your tip to 274637 (CRIMES).