Document text
Dead boy�s alleged drug dealer charged A White City man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly giving methamphetamine to Thomas Kelly, the Phoenix boy whose remains were found in an orchard creek bed last month. Jackson County sheriff�s deputies arrested Phillip Harrison Bendell, 30, at 7:10 a.m. and charged him with distributing a controlled substance to a minor. Kelly was 17 when he disappeared almost a year-and-a-half ago. He was seen running near Gore Creek by Pioneer Road in a state of panic, according to two men who police believe were the last to see Kelly. A skull found downstream in Gore Creek June 10 was identified as Kelly�s, along with additional remains and clothing found June 21. The cause of death is still unknown, said sheriff�s Detective Eric Fox. Investigators and Kelly�s mother believe he was using drugs at the time of his disappearance. Fox said there is "very good evidence" that suggests Bendell was the one that gave Kelly methamphetamine. Bendell was lodged on $100,000 bail in the Jackson County Jail Tuesday. "We were greatly relieved that Phillip Bendell will now be held accountable for his actions on Jan. 26, 1999," said Kelly�s mother, Vicki. "Tommy had to pay the price for his judgments and now it�s time for Phillip to be held accountable." Fox said he doesn�t expect the sheriff�s department to file any additional charges against Bendell. There is no evidence to directly relate Bendell to Kelly�s death, he said. "We cannot, beyond a reasonable doubt, prove a manslaughter charge," said Vicki Kelly. She said she�s worked with the district attorney�s office throughout the investigation. Bendell, a former friend of the Kelly family, was questioned in February after Kelly�s disappearance. Fox said deputies waited to file charges against Bendell until they learned what happened to Kelly. A memorial service for Kelly is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA