Rhode Island man guilty of murder of 31-year-old Fall River native Joshua Costa

Attorney General Peter Neronha announced today that a Providence man has been found guilty in Providence County Superior Court of the 2021 murder of 31-year-old Fall River native Joshua Costa.

On November 10, 2023, following the conclusion of a two-week jury trial before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers, the jury found 44-year-old Phillip Manners guilty of one count of second-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm while in the commission of a crime of violence with death resulting, once count of possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm without a license.

Manners is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions pending a sentencing hearing to be scheduled later.

“Tragedies like this one occur when our commonsense gun laws are thwarted,” said Attorney General Neronha. “As a person who was previously convicted of a violent crime, this defendant was prohibited from owning and operating a firearm. Keeping guns out of the hands of people with a violent criminal record is crucial to keeping our community safe. I hope this verdict provides some measure of peace for the victim’s family. And thank you to the Providence Police for their consistent commitment to seeking justice for the victims of violent crime.”

During the trial, the State proved that Manners shot and killed the victim following a dispute.

On April 15, 2021, Manners and the victim met at a garage located on Harris Avenue in Providence. The following day at approximately 1:00 p.m., the two men again met at the garage, at which time the victim brandished a gun in front of Manners and took a bag belonging to him, the state argued contained narcotics, before fleeing. Manners then retrieved a gun out of his satchel, chased the victim into the garage’s office and fired several shots at the victim, killing him.

Surveillance footage from outside the garage depicted Manners leaving the building through the office door following the victim’s murder.

“I want to thank the men and women of the Providence Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office for their work in bringing this defendant to justice,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. “Too many people are hurt and killed because of guns getting into the wrong hands. We must prevent violent criminals from accessing firearms because too often the results are tragic.”

Assistant Attorney General Robert Johnson IV and Special Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Burke of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Sgt. Fabio Zuena, Detective Raymond Majeau, and Detective Douglas Steele (retired) of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.