An inmate at Thomson Penitentiary in Illinois has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering a fellow inmate because of his religious faith. Brandon Simonson, 41, from Moorhead, Minnesota, was convicted earlier this year by a jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on charges including second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hate crime, and assault.
Simonson conspired with Kristopher Martin, 43, of Brazil, Indiana, to attack Matthew Phillips because Phillips was Jewish. The two men assaulted Phillips as part of an effort to gain recognition and membership in the Valhalla Bound Skinheads, a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang. During the incident on March 2, 2020, Simonson punched and kicked Phillips in the face and head even after Phillips was unconscious and unable to defend himself. Phillips died three days later as a result of the injuries.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Simonson to life imprisonment. Martin pleaded guilty earlier this year and is scheduled for sentencing on October 9, 2025.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with Lucas Rothaar, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. The Federal Bureau of Prisons also assisted in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Ronald DeWald.
“Antisemitic violence has no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable and will not be tolerated anywhere in our district, including in our prison system. My Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively enforce federal laws to ensure that all Americans feel safe in practicing and expressing their faith.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners hold those who compromise the safety or lives of others accountable, even those serving sentences in prison,” said FBI ASAC Rothaar. “We continue to ask the public to help keep our communities safe from any acts of violence like those detailed in this case by reporting threatening or suspicious behavior immediately to local law enforcement or the FBI.”
