COLLIN COUNTY — A man police suspected in the disappearance of a Collin County woman was killed Friday in a shootout with Missouri State Police and the victim was later found dead.
Princeton police and fire departments responded to a home on Winding Meadow Trail around 7:30 a.m. Friday for a report of a house fire. According to Princeton police, relatives called police to say a woman who lived at the home, DeLisha Evans, was missing and believed to be in immediate danger.
According to police, investigators identified Ryan Phillips as the prime suspect in Evans’ disappearance. Working with the Texas Rangers, they tracked Phillips’ vehicle to Missouri using critical missing persons broadcasts and license plate readers. Missouri State Police spotted Phillips’ vehicle in the St. Louis area and attempted a traffic stop. Phillips fled the vehicle, and police pursued, engaging in a high-speed pursuit.
During the pursuit, the vehicles crashed. Officers and Phillips exchanged gunfire, resulting in Phillips being shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers later found Evans deceased inside the vehicle.
It is not yet clear how Evans was killed or if the house fire has anything to do with her disappearance or death.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Princeton Police Department and Texas Rangers are investigating.
