A Final Story: Ray Hall’s book on Ralph Phillips manhunt finished with help of late talk show host’s children

For years, Ray Hall had conversations with listeners on his shows Both Sides Now and The Hall Closet on WJTN.

Now, 15 years after the talk show host's passing, Hall's children Tara (Hall) Mammoser and Tage Hall, have completed a previously unfinished manuscript their father had been working on before his passing. "Killer on the Run" not only tells the story of Ralph Phillips' 2006 escape and run from the law, but allowed a son and daughter to spend time with a project their father held dear.

"With the book being finished and laying our eyes on the final product was both a satisfying and emotional moment for us," Hall and Mammoser told The Post-Journal this week. "We didn’t do this for any ... monetary gain, as the reward for us has been seeing this project that our dad began come to fruition. Compiling all of the components has, in a sense, allowed us to have more conversations with our dad, and that has been invaluable. It has truly been a labor of love and we know our parents would be proud."

Set against the backdrop of rural Western New York in 2006, Killer on the Run takes readers into the fear, tension, and determination that gripped communities and law enforcement as Phillips evaded capture for many weeks. The novel brings to life the dramatic events that unfolded after Phillips escaped custody, sparking a massive, multi-agency manhunt that would captivate the region and the rest of New York state. The book is currently available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/06ob0M5h.

The manhunt for Phillips dominated the local news, including The Post-Journal and Hall's talk show, The Hall Closet. Hall eventually gained access to Phillips with in-person interviews and continuous correspondence, providing an exclusive, in-depth perspective on the chase.

"Our dad was a voracious reader and always enjoyed writing as well," Hall and Mammoser said. "Throughout our lives he had always written poems, dabbled in some short stories and had even written some other long form manuscripts that just never hit publication. He was always working on some kind of writing, thus we knew that dad was in the process of writing this book on Ralph "Bucky" Phillips. We were certainly aware of the interviews and access that Dad was able to secure with Phillips and we were cognizant of the fact that the access Dad has was somewhat unique and not necessarily extended to many others, so when Dad had in-person interviews as well as written correspondence it kind of seemed like a bit of a big deal with how big of a story this was New York state and especially our area."

A LOOK BACK AT 2006

Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Hall reconstructs the timeline of events, offering readers an immersive look at the challenges faced by law enforcement, the resilience of local communities, and the psychological intensity of a fugitive on the run. The book also explores the human side of the story--those whose lives were forever changed by the ordeal.

At the time of his escape, Phillips was serving a 90-day sentence for violating the terms of his parole. He had been released in November 2005 after a burglary conviction, but failed to report to his parole officer, so he was again arrested on January 6. Phillips was being held in Erie County jail for a parole violation before his April 2, 2006, escape and was on the run until Sept. 8, 2006. Phillips escaped by cutting through the corrugated metal roof of the facility’s kitchen using a can opener. He is believed to have stolen numerous vehicles and broken into several cabins across Western New York and Warren County, Pa., and McKean County, Pa.

On June 10, 2006, around 1 a.m., State Trooper Sean Brown was shot in Veteran, New York, after seeing a Ford Mustang that had been reported stolen. As the trooper approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Phillips, shot at him and sped off. The officer was seriously injured with gunshot wounds to the abdomen. On June 27, after reports of stolen vehicles and break-ins, police in Chautauqua County found an abandoned backpack containing items tied to Phillips and the .38 caliber handgun he had allegedly used in the June 10 incident.

Police blockades on main routes were common throughout the summer, as were t-shirts with the phrase "Run Bucky Run" and "Got Bucky?" One restaurant sold Bucky Burgers because they were sold in a to-go container. That changed after the shooting of two State Troopers who were on a stakeout of Phillips' ex-girlfriend's house in Pomfret. Phillips shot two New York State Troopers with a high-powered rifle: Donald Baker Jr., 38, and Joseph Longobardo, 32. Eleven shots were fired in total. Baker was struck in the right flank, with the bullet exiting the left flank, and was flown to Hamot Shock Trauma Center in Erie. Longobardo was struck in the leg, severing an artery, and was flown to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Longobardo died Sept. 3 while Baker survived.

Phillips was captured by Pennsylvania State Police at around 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, in Warren County, Pa. without gunfire. Phillips was hiding in a lightly wooded area at the time of his capture and was spotted by a Warren County Sheriff’s Deputy from a distance. In November, Phillips pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated murder for the shooting of Longobardo and attempted aggravated murder for the shooting of Donald Baker Jr. and Sean Brown. On December 19 he was sentenced in Chautauqua County Court to life without parole for shooting and killing Longobardo and 40 years to life for shooting and wounding Trooper Baker. He is serving his sentence at Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, New York (Franklin County).

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

Hall made no secret in the years after Phillips' manhunt, capture and time in prison that the two had been in contact. Hall mentioned on the airwaves before his retirement from radio. He also wrote a blog on post-journal.com for a time before his health forced Hall to step away from the public spotlight.

In January 2011, Hall's wife Joan passed away. Hall passed away the following December. In between Tage Hall was married.

"With our heads spinning from these huge life moments and Dad passing right around the holidays, Dad’s book projects were not on the forefront of our minds," Hall and Mammoser wrote. "After our Dad passed, from time to time people would approach Tara and I and inquire, 'Hey, wasn’t your dad writing a book about Bucky?' or 'Did your dad ever finish that book on Bucky?' This was something he mentioned in passing on his radio show and something people remembered!"

Eventually, as Hall and Mammoser decided to check on the status of the book. A search of Ray Hall's computer first revealed notes from in-person interviews with Phillips and handwritten letters. Then, they found what people had been asking for – a manuscript.

"Then, we were very surprised and pleased to find not only a manuscript but a darn near finished manuscript," Hall and Mammoser said. "Finding a manuscript so close to completion provided inspiration to us. Tara and I are both teachers and have done many things in our lives but getting a book published was not something that either one of us had experience with at all! But we both immediately felt that as a tribute to our father, we should see this through and try to finish the journey that he started."

Hall and Mammoser reached out to Jim Walton, an old friend of their father's, who provided direction on where to begin. They also borrowed against their retirement savings to hire a literary agent. That move sped up the process of getting the manuscript from Hall's computer to the printing press. Hall and Mammoser also credited The Post-Journal for the paper's assistance with articles, images and timelines for the book.

Those who listened to Hall's show or who read his blog at post-journal.com will likely hear a familiar voice in the text. That's the result, Hall and Mammoser said, of their father's lifetime of story telling that continues in 2026, 15 years after his passing.

"Our dad was involved in so many different ventures throughout his life, from the military, the old phone company, politics, and different businesses, to his radio show," Hall and Mammoser said. "Across all of those endeavors our dad was adept at explaining and telling the stories that go along with those life experiences. Those that may have known our father or perhaps listened to him on the radio may find some of that familiar delivery in the book."