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'He was a bad habit for her': Family reveals troubled life of mom-of-five shot and killed by ex husband

Police shot Dustin Phillips to death after they sought him out in relation to the murder of his estranged wife Vennessa Phillips

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Mother-of-five, Vennessa Phillips née Thompson, 35, was shot and killed by her estranged husband, Dustin Phillips, in front of their 4-year-old daughter, according to her family.

Following a search related to the death of his estranged wife the previous day, officers in Georgia shot and killed Dustin on Wednesday, November 22, as reported by 11 Alive.

The couple shared five children. Their youngest child is only four years old. The oldest son is 18 years old and also has a one-year-old child.

Who was Vennessa Phillips?

When Coweta County police arrived at a Sharpsburg residence on Tuesday, November 21, in the evening, they discovered a woman who had been fatally shot by Dustin Phillips. The victim was Vennessa Phillips, who was a mother and grandmother, as per her family members.

According to the suspect's father who spoke with Atlanta News First, his son allegedly shot and fled after shooting his wife.

The US Marshals and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) were summoned by the sheriff's office to assist.

According to the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, deputies discovered her body outside a residence in Sharpsburg's 100 block of Halo Trace on Tuesday night, November 21.

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office said Dustin was "considered armed and dangerous" and was wanted for felony murder when they began their search for him on November 22 morning.

According to Vennessa's brother, Jeyson Brooks, who spoke to the Times-Herald, Dustin was a "bad habit" for her and the couple's relationship was fraught with violence and conflict.

Brooks told the outlet, "She didn’t want to give up on him. She’d given him so many chances because she had such a hopeful heart."

Additionally, he claimed that Dustin made promises "that never worked out" to entice Vennessa to move to rural Tennessee with him.

According to the Times-Herald, Brooks stated, "It was nothing but a living hell for them, living in poverty."

He claimed that although Dustin would "just run off into the woods," Vennessa would repeatedly call the police and that this would turn into a "very familiar pattern."

Vennessa returned to Georgia with her five children almost a year before she died, stated Brooks, who said he was eventually able to persuade her to do so in order to be near her family.

Dustin Phillips allegedly physically and mentally abused Vennessa Phillips

According to Brooks, Vennessa made multiple allegations that Dustin had abused her physically and mentally, per 11 Alive.

He claimed that despite his sister's repeated calls to the police and several police reports filed in Coweta County and Tennessee, nothing was ever done and that his sister was afraid for her life.

According to Brooks, Vennessa brought her four-year-old daughter to see Dustin on Tuesday night when he was visiting his uncle's home.

The precise circumstances remain mostly unknown, but according to Brooks, Dustin shot Vanessa after they got into an argument at the house.

According to Brooks, she was shot and killed in front of her daughter — something that the family finds unbelievable.

They just never thought something like this would ever happen, said Brooks, despite all the negativity and threats.

Cops 'returned fire and struck' Dustin Phillips

Deputies reported that Dustin had returned to the house and was pointing a gun at them following a multi-agency search.

In a follow-up Facebook post, the sheriff's office stated that Dustin was reportedly at the same spot on Wednesday night, November 22, where Vennessa was discovered dead.

According to the sheriff's office, Dustin "fired" at the officers and was struck by deputies who "returned fire and struck" him, causing his death.

Vennessa was allegedly shot by Dustin, who had five children, in front of their four-year-old daughter, as reported by 11 Alive.

There were no deputies hurt in the incident, confirmed the Coweta County Sheriff. Deputies shot Dustin multiple times, according to an update from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Despite receiving medical attention from deputies, according to the GBI, he died on the spot.

The town of Sharpsburg closed Town Hall, Staley Park, and Pavilion on November 22 in order to ensure the safety of its residents in the wake of the manhunt.