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*STAFF WRITER Miller had put Summerlin on the witness stand to tell his version of what happened that cold night of Jan. 13, 1981, when 16-year-old Charles Philip was strangled and shot in the back on a dirt road north of Callaway. The 12-member jury will hear closing arguments this morning at 8:30 in the Bay County Cour thouse and then retire to consider the case Summerlin and 25-year-old John Clayton, whose trial begins Feb. 8, are charged with first degree murder, burglary and grand theft. During Wednesday's testimony, Summerlin claimed he was “scared”’ of John Clayton. But the baby-faced defendant repeatedly said he didn’t know why he did not prevent John Clayton from strangling Philip or try to escape. During his lengthy testimony, Summerlin said John Clayton was the one who strangled Philip and buried him. Summerlin admitted he shot Philip twice, but thought Philip was already dead because he wasn’t moving. “I think he was dead, ‘cause he wasn’t moving,’’ Summerlin said. ‘“‘T hesitated a minute or two....then I shot twice. I didn't aim, I just pointed it down and shot it twice.” Summerlin said he and John Clayton had gone over to Philip’s house to ‘‘party”’ the night before the murder, and while there smoked some marijuana cigaret tes belonging to Philip. Philip was alone in the house because his parents were attending a cosmetology seminar in Las Vegas. Summerlin testified that Philip showed him and Clayton his father’s safe, and told them there was $10,000 in it. After leaving Philip, the pair went to the Corner Lounge in Spr ingfield where they met John Clayton’s older brother, Mike, Summerlin said. The three stayed in the bar about an hour devising a plan to steal the safe, according to Summerlin. Summerlin said the original plan was for him to drive Philip out to the beach and get him “blasted’’ while Mike and John Clayton broke into Philip's house and took the safe. Mike Clayton would then break open the safe with his front-end leader. But John Clayton changed the . See Philip, 2A ,the 17-year-old defendant in the murder of Charles Philip last January, watches the jury's reactions during Wednesday's proceedings. NEWS. HERALD An attentive Wade Summerlin, Summerlin and 25-year-old John Clayton are charged with first-degree murder, burglary and grand theft.
Newspaper Details
Panama City News Herald
Panama City, Florida, US
Thu, Jan 21, 1982
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert P.
USA 13 Jul 2026
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