Jeff Phillips Survivor Fund

Joseph Paul walked alone down a quiet, peaceful, utterly ordinary residential street on May 19 when two men in a silver car approached him from behind, drove by, then suddenly stopped just ahead of him. A man got out of the car, approached Joey, and proceeded to rob him at gunpoint. Joey, on foot and defenseless, is no threat to the gunman or his accomplice who waits in the car.

Despite this and for reasons unknown to anyone but the gunman, he then shot Joey before jumping back into the car which then quickly fled the scene. As they sped away Joey collapsed onto the hard, black asphalt road and there with nobody to comfort him, he died.

His death is the subject of a capital murder investigation but so far the suspects remain at large.

Joey leaves behind Jeff, his beloved husband of over fifteen years and their English bulldog Lily, who is Joey’s pride and joy. My name is Jerry Weis, a friend of the theirs and I’m setting up this page and fundraiser because Jeff and Lily desperately need your help.

For many years Jeff has given hundreds if not thousands of hours of his time volunteering and providing professional services on a pro bono basis for a variety of LGBT charities and political causes. Together Joey and he have hosted and underwritten the cost of many wonderful parties in their home to benefit those in need. Irony of ironies, it’s now they who need help.

Over the past few years Jeff ‘n Joey (as they’ve been known to all for as long as anybody can remember) have struggled in the face of one adversity after another ranging from lengthy unemployment, an extended fight to keep their home from being stolen by Ocwen (the mortgage servicer fined $2.1 Billion for homeowner abuses), to Jeff’s health issues, and more which have drained the family financially.

Already pushed to the limit, Joey’s murder now threatens to shove them right over the brink. We are the only ones who stand between this little family and complete devastation, and I urge you to stand with me by making a donation in whatever amount you can. Rest assured that all proceeds will go directly to them. Please, won’t you make a donation now? It will only take a minute and will mean more than you can ever imagine.

Thank you,
Jerry Weis

PS — This is important to me because at one time I, too, endured many of the challenges Jeff now faces as he attempts to get the assistance as a surviving spouse so many of us take for granted. But rather than speak for him, I encourage you to read about Jeff’s struggles in his own words at his blog (https://jeffsphillips.wordpress.com/).


News Coverage:

The Dallas Morning News
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2016/05/suspects-at-large-in-overnight-oak-cliff-shooting-that-left-1-dead.html/

The Dallas Voice
http://www.dallasvoice.com/breaking-police-identify-oak-cliff-man-murdered-thursday-morning-10220059.html