Wynn

The State also called two of Phillips' relatives to testify about various threats he made to them if they did not pay him money.

Letters Phillips sent to Wynn between September 6, 2000, and the end of June 2001, were also admitted into evidence. The first batch of letters was postmarked in Oregon and dated from September to November 2000. In these letters, Phillips asserted that he and Wynn shared a biological father who had killed Wynn's mother and impregnated another woman with Phillips. This father allegedly left an inheritance to both Wynn and Phillips, which Phillips was attempting to claim. Phillips also requested that Wynn send him various sums of money ranging from twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars. Phillips stated that he would expose everything about their family if Wynn did not do the right thing. One letter indicated that Phillips was coming to Las Vegas and demanded that Wynn provide Phillips with rooms at the Bellagio hotel.

A second batch of letters was dated between December 2000 and March 28, 2001. One was postmarked in San Francisco, a second contained no postmark, and a third was postmarked in Las Vegas. These letters contained similar allegations as the first group and also accused Wynn of being affiliated with the Mafia. Phillips demanded money and threatened to go to the media and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to expose Wynn's alleged background and crimes if Wynn did not pay.

Phillips sent a third batch of letters. In one letter, Phillips addressed Werwinski, stating "I might die in prison, but I will get you." Phillips also alleged that Wynn had committed various violent crimes and continued to request money in return for Phillips' silence.

Werwinski testified that he received the letters and listened to various voicemail messages as part of the screening process used to review Wynn's mail and communications. Werwinski stated that he investigated Phillips to determine what level of threat Phillips might represent to the Wynn family. When the letters began to be postmarked from Las Vegas and a letter with no postmark was received, Werwinski increased his activities as the absence of a postmark suggested that this letter had been hand-delivered to Wynn's residence.