An inmate at Thomson Penitentiary in Illinois has received a life sentence for the murder of another inmate, motivated by religious bias. 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.
According to authorities, Simonson conspired with Kristopher Martin, 43, of Brazil, Indiana, to attack Matthew Phillips because Phillips was Jewish. The two men sought recognition and membership in the Valhalla Bound Skinheads, described as a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang. On March 2, 2020, Simonson and Martin assaulted Phillips by punching and kicking him in the face and head after he had been knocked unconscious. Phillips died three days later as a result of his injuries.
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Simonson to life in federal prison on Friday. 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; Lucas Rothaar, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office; with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Ronald DeWald are prosecuting the case.
“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.”
