Random Horrifying Story Of The Boy Who Survived The Bonebreaker Killer (11 items)

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  (#4) Phillips Attempted To Escape Multiple Times

  During his 43 hours of captivity, Thad Phillips made at least two attempts to escape Joe Clark. The first attempt happened immediately after Clark broke Phillips's ankle. Phillips reportedly felt more shock then pain and was able to leap off the bed towards the stairs, but Clark quickly caught him. Phillips then suffered further injuries, including having his leg stretched back until his thigh bone fractured.

  In his second attempt, Phillips managed to crawl down the stairs and into the kitchen before Clark returned home with his girlfriend. The two reportedly watched television in the living room as Phillips hid in the kitchen, but Clark found Phillips as soon as the girl left. 

  After that, Phillips would be locked in a closet whenever Clark left the house.
   
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  (#6) Clark Pretended To Give Phillips Medical Care

  Aside from pretending to act like a friend, Clark also oscillated between torturing Phillips and giving care. After Clark would finish a session of breaking bones, he would take white socks and wrap them over Phillips's broken legs until they became thickly padded.

  Clark also forced Phillips to wear leg braces and attempt to walk around before beginning another cycle of torture. Phillips later said that Clark would “stomp” on his broken bones after tending to the wounds. 
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  (#1) In 1995, Joseph Clark Kidnapped 13-Year-Old Thad Phillips

  On the evening of July 29, 1995, 13-year-old Thadius “Thad” Phillips was sleeping on the couch with his sister in their new home in Baraboo, Wisconsin. When someone picked Phillips up off the couch, he assumed it was his father carrying him to bed, which was a common occurrence.

  Disoriented when he woke up, Phillips found he was outside with an unfamiliar, older teen boy. The boy seemed friendly, asking if Phillips could help him with his car. Phillips, still sleepy and confused, went with the boy back to his home, which was only a half mile from Phillips's new home. 

  Once there, the mysterious boy introduced himself as “Joe” and said he would soon throw a party. He named other boys Phillips knew and said they'd be there soon. In the meantime, he asked if Phillips wanted to check out his model cars upstairs. Phillips followed, unaware of the violence that awaited him.
   
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  (#10) Joseph Clark Was Sentenced To 100 Years In Prison

  In October 1997, Joe Clark was found guilty of the following crimes related to his abduction of Thad Phillips: causing great bodily harm to a child, child enticement, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, mayhem and mental harm to a child. Clark pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury believed he was sane. Clark was sentenced to 100 years in prison and later received an additional 50-year sentence for the murder of Christian Steiner.

  To this day, Clark maintains he has no memory of what he did to Phillips and claims he is innocent of Steiner’s death. He later attempted to appeal some of his convictions based on lack of evidence, but the district court dismissed the case.

  Surgeries and long-term medical care have helped Phillips walk and use his legs again, though he still retains a limp. He also sued Clark and won. The total payment amounting to $21 million.
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  (#8) Clark Had Plans To Abduct, Torture, And Possibly Murder More Boys

  Authorities arrested Clark while he was at a party with his girlfriend, and from there, they began to search his house. Police looked for any indication of previous victims, but instead they found evidence suggesting Clark intended to capture and torment more boys.

  In the house, police located a school notebook, which listed names of over a dozen local boys, including some Phillips knew. The boys' names were in different columns, detailing whether or not Clark could kidnap them soon or later, and what he wanted to do to them.

  Part of the list included a column titled "The Leg Thing," suggesting he intended to break the bones of his future victims as well.
   
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  (#9) Thanks To Thad Phillips, Joe Clark Was Linked To The Murder Of A Teen Boy

  Phillips would later testify that Clark had told him about murdering a boy named “Chris” the year prior. Police were then able to link this testimony to the murder of 14-year-old Christian Steiner who had gone missing from his home of July 4, 1994. His parents had awakened that morning to find the window screen in Steiner's bedroom slashed, and there were muddy footprints throughout the house. Although Steiner's parents first thought he had snuck out of the house, they soon realized he had likely been kidnapped.

  Steiner's body was found on the banks of the Wisconsin River five days later. His cause of death was drowning, but the manner of Steiner's death was undetermined. Following Phillips's testimony, Steiner's body was exhumed and an autopsy confirmed that both of his legs had been broken.

  A boy who had been with Clark in juvenile detention also testified that Clark had bragged about murdering a boy and hanging the body over a tree. However, police were never able to link Clark to a second murder.

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