Lawrence Phillips is dead and authorities believe the ex-NFL running back took his own life. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation made the shocking announcement in a press release: “Officials at Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) are investigating the death of inmate Lawrence Phillips as a suspected suicide. Wednesday, Jan. 13, when staff conducting security checks found Phillips, 40, unresponsive in his cell. Phillips was currently in the early stages of the trial in Kern County for the homicide.