Mrs. Hamilton, 55, had worked as a physician's assistant at her husband's abortion facility, Oklahoma Women's Clinic. Bevel, under oath to tell the truth, told the court about the spatter in the sleeve and said it was consistent with Hamilton beating his wife over the head with a blunt instrument. wife repeatedly throughout the tears.". Her husband was arrested that day and later charged with her murder. If I really did it, if it would, if it would clear my conscience, but I didn't do it. He was so kind, and you never heard him raise his voice or anything like that. Lane had questioned the other woman. Before Susan Hamilton died, Coffey said, the victim had changed her mind and thought that her husband was not having an affair. Danyelle shares three haunting love stories that end in tragedy. Investigators have a word for rage crimes: "overkill." A judge earlier ruled there was probable cause to detain Hamilton pending formal charges being filed. When rescue workers arrived they found him hysterical and covered in his wife's blood. Isn't that what Valentine's Day is supposed to be about? Hamilton had told the 911 operator he was performing CPR. And we're thinkin' that maybe he was having an affair. Vandalizing his home. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Possibilities: Was it a robbery gone bad? John Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist, called 911 on Valentine's Day, 2001, to report that he had arrived to find his wife, Susan, apparently dead in a pool of blood in the bathroom. Vesta Hall: I have never, ever, one second, not one moment in time have I ever thought he was guilty. Now, courtoom lawyers like to talk about Perry Mason moments when a trial is electrified by unexpected testimony, but it hardly ever happens. And when they found fresh scratches on his hands and arm, did that explain maybe the business about scraping his hands on the patrol car cage? The attacker poured cleaning solution in the drain in an attempt to prevent investigators finding blood in the shower, the investigator said. I knew they that they were suspecting me. We changed it to, instead, that-- Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love. As a Finnish lawyer, Simon Ekpa has made a name for himself in the legal profession. mother didn't sound like herself, although Even the prosecutor, Wes Lane, had to admit that John had been telling the truth about that suspected affair. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Could a man have loved his wife to death. But when the first responder -- firefighter David Bradbury-- arrived on the scene, he thought there was something odd about the way the doctor was performing chest compressions. told Horton her mother had Randy Scott: It indicated that she still felt something for John, but it just things weren't the same as they were gonna be. so alone in my life,'" Horton said. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Effectively managed high-volume of product sales. When he met Susan in 1985, they were both divorced with four children between them. Not least of all in a bloody crime there were no footprints leading out of the house. But the most damning blood evidence of all, may have been found in the doctor's car. And both John and Susan had received threatening phone calls that week. It was a violent scene. What Happened To Dr John Hamilton? Soon after their arrival, investigators started questioning Dr. John Hamilton himself. Prosecutors are counting on experts to testify that Susan Hamilton's blood and flesh were found in the defendant's 1996 Jaguar parked outside their home at 3056 Bush Creek Road. So the strategy would be to pick apart both the evidence and the logic of the prosecution's case. Dr. Hamilton 911 call Doctor, slain wife argued about affair, police say - Evidence taken from home where woman's body found Doctor leaves jail for funeral - Obstetrician permitted to attend wife's services Doctor accused in wife's death to remain in jail Suspect loses bail appeal - Doctor charged in wife's death to remain in jail pending trial If convicted, he could be sentenced to prison for life with or without the possibility of parole. Dick: Right. I do not think that John's havin' an affair. Link in bio. Tom Bevel: In order to say that, you have to have the murder weapon. "The police said, 'There's my man. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. In December 2001, ten months after the Valentine's Day killing of his wife, Susan, Dr. John Hamilton was being tried for her murder. Mack Martin, the doctor's lead attorney, knew it would be uphill. His defense team argued that there was no direct evidence that Hamilton was the murderer, noting that no murder weapon was ever found. Year should not be greater than current year. All rights reserved. Ever. The-- they don't agree. They kept him there for hours on end. Other little issues about maybe was it a burglary. As is routine in domestic murders, the detectives would take a look at the spouse -- John Hamilton, himself. Try again later. The victim told her daughter in their But from all appearances, she never got much of a chance to get ready -- when she was discovered, she was still undressed, her hair still wet. "She loved him. To use this feature, use a newer browser. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections) Dr. John Hamilton placed the initial 911 call after his wife was strangled and beaten to death in Oklahoma on Valentine's Day 2001. jurors about the disagreement "He (Hamilton) was really clinging to the defense lines that the blood result was not the way it was interpreted, Dennis Murphy, a "Dateline NBC reporter, told The Oklahoman on Wednesday. Neighbors told police that in the weeks before the killing the Hamiltons had been having marital problems. Quail Creek home. By that afternoon, police had taken the doctor down to the station. Jurors have spent two days hearing testimony and looking at photographs of the bloody crime scene and injuries the victim suffered. On "Dateline NBC, as in his legal appeals, Hamilton criticized Bevel and the accuracy of his blood spatter analysis, which Hamilton called "junk science.. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Dennis Murphy: You were starting to see her come around? Dr. John Baxter Hamilton It took only about two hours for the jury to reach a guilty verdict and Hamilton was sentenced to life without parole. Why do you do that? The judge ruled that he would not allow any testimony about threats the abortion doctor and his wife may have received. Tom Bevel: He jumped out of his loafer shoes, which would have reorientated them, and he jumped over to her side and knelt down to try and assist her and to do CPR. Nothing was stolen, and yet, there was this curious story that cropped up in the days after Susan had been murdered. There was a detail that the witness wanted to talk about. To the defense team, it seemed obvious from the first moments that investigators never seriously considered any suspects other than the husband. So he runs by that house. Because Dr. John Hamilton was late. Spruill told jurors he believed the attack happened quickly and the victim fought to free the necktie from her neck. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Or you wouldn't have had time to have gotten it off your clothing. This browser does not support getting your location. John Hamilton: No, she's not breathing, I don't get a pulse. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? If convicted, he could be John Hamilton: Yes, I'm trying. How about a candlelit dinner and a champagne toast to love? John Baxter Hamilton, who was convicted of the Valentine's Day murder of his wife, lost his bid to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday. Wes Lane: And that's when he started explaining that the blood spatter inside the sleeve. Failed to report flower. And I looked at the defense table which was over to my left. at times she insinuated it was too Susan Johnston: I said, "Susan, I don't think it's true. Today, John Hamilton resides in a maximum security prison, behind the walls where Valentine's Day has little meaning at all. Bc s John Baxter Hamilton thnh ph v nh gia ca phu thut mang theo hoa v tm thip cho v, nhn ngy l tnh nhn 14/2/2001. The doctor was then ushered away, as police wondered who might have committed such a brutal attack. And go back and do another surgery. We took a one-to-one image of his shirt, and we overlay it. His supporters, on the other hand, continue to believe he is innocent to this day. Susan, as it turns out, should also have left by 9:20, because she had a 9:30 meeting at a friend's house ten minutes away. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Susan Shibley Hamilton I found on Findagrave.com. At the time, many people sided with John Hamilton. an affair when he called her before the slaying. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. a crowd lined up to attend the proceedings. Was he nervous about what an examination of his body would reveal? Then came Valentine's Day 2001. I didn't kill Susan. trips. His theory was that the stains on the shirt were left by the murder weapon as it came in contact with the garment. After all, he'd had a busy morning -- performing not just one, but two surgeries with only a brief stop at home in between. But because it was Valentine's Day, I wanted to give Susan her first Valentine's card. John Hamilton: I wanted EMT to be able to get in. Horton said. John Baxter Hamilton. The killer, careful not to step in the blood, changed into clean clothes and concealed the bloody clothes in a plastic bag before carrying them out of the house, Spruill said. her daughter was taking sides Dick Horton, sometimes worried for his ex's safety. Oklahoma City police declined on Wednesday to release additional information about the slaying. And-- my children started, "Well, I'll never celebrate it again." At the end, I think she was calmer and she said, "I'm gonna think about it.". Nobody expected that to happen. Have a good day. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. He was -- more suspicion drawn each time that we'd watch something. last telephone conversation that she and All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Hamilton is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole at the state penitentiary in McAlester. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Late that Valentine's Day afternoon, they arrested John Hamilton for the murder of his wife. He's crazy about you. However, the dark day arrived in their family on Valentines Day 2001, when he claimed Susan was in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. By 9:30, he was scrubbing up for the operation -- a complicated removal of a tumor. But I do love you. Aguirre said he was calling her 10 or more times a day. In this article, youll learn more about Susan Hamiltons murder. The procedure came off without a hitch, and later none of the other doctors reported anything at all unusual in his behavior. Dennis Murphy: And they thought they were very clever 'cause they took you, in effect, off the market. John, the good doctor, was simply trying to counsel her. or more times a day. Now he would be able to tell his side of the story. If I was the guy they think I am, then, what do I have to lose by telling the truth? The first-degree murder charge accuses Dr. John Baxter Hamilton, 52, an obstetrician and gynecologist, in the beating and strangulation death of his wife, Susan Shibley Hamilton, 55. He was talking on the phone. Dick Horton: I don't think there was any question she wore the pants. Multi-directional blood spatters or spatters of blood coming from different directions reflecting movement were discovered on the defendant's shoes, but not on the slacks he was wearing, Lane said. for immediate release contact: diane denton december 16, 2004 615.741.3111 (office) 615.708.9384 (cell) disciplinary action report The perpetrator then turned up the heat in the bathroom so the water in the shower would evaporate, he said. John Hamilton: Yeah. What he hoped to show the skeptics through trial was that yes, the doctor was indeed a man who loved his wife -- loved her maybe too much. I mean, he fawned over her a lot. Lane said a bloody imprint of what is believed to be the blunt instrument was discovered on the defendant's shirt. Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist, started performing CPR and called 911. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He was only at home for a few minutes, because at 9 am his pager went off, the hospital calling him to get back for a second surgery. The doctor realized he'd been scuttled by his own man, the expert on blood spatter. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. This week, ya girls are celebrating Valentines Day a day late. The medical examiner had determined that Susan had been strangled with two neckties, but her fatal injuries came from being bludgeoned with a blunt object, a murder weapon never found. Still, there was the doctor's seemingly solid alibi. general about patients calling sentenced to prison for life with or without the possibility of parole. Wes Lane, the prosecutor, was surprised to find he had an unpopular case on his hands. Philadelphian Melvin Sheppard, and William F. Hamilton set a world record in this race. And you know, start her day off right before she got busy with her meeting. A panicked Hamilton told the operator that he was attempting to perform CPR on her. He was arrested and booked into jail about five hours later. Discussed procedure quotes. But beyond his professional accomplishments, little is known about his personal life, especially when it comes to his family. Let's go find some experts to prove our case.' She said he would give her samples of medication she needed for depression when she didn't have the money to buy prescription drugs. John Hamilton: If Susan had scratched me wouldn't you assume that they would have found tissue, blood, DNA of some sort under her fingernails? Hamilton (5 Jan 1946-14 Feb 2001), Find a Grave Memorial ID 80157405, citing Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Oklahoma City . He says he did Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Product Description. Testimony is expected to continue this morning before District Judge Ray Elliott. And that justice would come out. Horton said John Hamilton Susan Hamilton suspected her husband was having an affair with a patient and stripper whose telephone number turned up 60 times on the defendant's cell phone bills. The patient, as Susan discovered, was a stripper at a nightclub. Measurements of the imprint match those of the holes in the victim's skull, the district attorney said. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Randy Scott: There's no burglary prints to obtain downstairs. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. In murder cases constructed on the interpretation of blood evidence, it's not unusual for juries to hear from dueling experts when they go to trial. Investigators had to interpret the blood evidence left behind. Horton told the jurors her mother had Antiabortion protesters had picketed the clinic and, friends said, even their home. "My wife's bleeding all over the place," Dr. John Baxter Hamilton tells the 911 operator. But his argument wouldn't be enough. On the other hand, his name appears in a few obituaries on the internet. In 1997, Mississippi abortion provider Dr. Malachy Dehenre shot and killed his wife in their . Dennis Murphy: There were people that thought this guy was being sandbagged, railroaded. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. And he was in there. Mack Martin: I never saw anything to indicate that John said, "If I can't have you, nobody can.". "I don't just snap," he said. Two months before her death, they fought over the defendant giving his son money without Susan Hamilton knowing about it. What was she like? the Hamiltons had over Christmas over the defendant's payment for his son's car repairs "John said she had said something about divorce," Coffey said. The prosecutor refused to release additional information about the slaying that took place at 3056 Brush Creek Road. "She was taken down almost immediately and spun onto her face, Spruill said. Wes Lane: Nothing. Search above to list available cemeteries. There were no John Hamilton called his Verify and try again. "Someone said there is a fine line between love and hate, and that man crossed it," Lane said in his opening statement in the first-degree murder trial for Hamilton, an Oklahoma City gynecologist, obstetrician and abortionist. Her husband, John Baxter Hamilton was convicted of murder, and is serving a life sentence. "I didnt kill Susan.. In 1987, John Hamilton married Susan, and his wife began working part-time at John's clinic. The prosecutor told the jury he envisioned the murder this way: the doctor coming back mid-morning after his first surgery, trying to patch things up with his wife who, majorly, wasn't buying it. The card had been found inside john's Jaguar. And it was there they noticed something else odd. Then, Holly covers the case of Dr. John Hamilton who loved his wife Susan a little too much. Steve Jimerson: I was afraid for his safety. District Judge Ray Elliott also ordered. It doesn't always happen that way. Johnston said she thought Tom Bevel: I was hired-- either the-- the next day, or within two days at least-- of-- of the actual crime-- by the defense. Susan demanded to see John's cell phone bill, and when she got a hold of it her worst fears seemed to be realized. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. David Bradbury: He had one hand on her chest, one hand on her abdomen, attempting to do compressions in this manner right here. The way that we are taught to do CPR, we interlock our hands. Dick Horton: I think the best way to describe her is a woman that always wanted to be a mother, was proud to be a mother. John Hamilton: The more Susan and I talked about things the more things were clarified, the more things we got straightened out. But before that valentine's day was over, they would have a suspect in custody. would put together a novel theory of just what happened between husband and wife, something maybe grimly fitting for Valentine's Day. Weve updated the security on the site. I had a million thoughts were running through my head. Failed to delete memorial. Even Susan's children were standing by their stepfather. she needed when she couldn't And that wasn't all. By the time emergency workers arrived, it was clear that Susan Hamilton was dead. Dennis Murphy: Because then you know the history of the phone calls. Susan, in particular, became entangled with neckties, resulting in a severe head injury. After all, only two people in the world knew what was really going on inside the Hamilton marriage. Did it ever. Failed to remove flower. And oh! John Hamilton: I still believed that the system would work. Investigators uncovered evidence that Susan had found records of dozens of calls from her husband's cellphone to a topless dancer, and prosecutors say Susan told friends she was thinking about asking John for a divorce. Hamilton, 62, was an Oklahoma City obstetrician, gynecologist and abortionist. Now, keep in mind, John Hamilton was a doctor who performed abortions. Steve Jimerson: Susan's children, when it first happened, were calling me, trying to find if I had knew of any reason somebody or some person might have been there. Prosecutors claim the defendant had fingernail scratches on one of his shoulders when he was arrested. He did not think it could have come from giving CPR. "Ultimately, you take an oath to tell the truth and that overrides any allegiance I may have to any client," he said. After all -- nothing can bring back the beautiful, headstrong, woman they all loved. Detective Teresa Sterling: He's supposed to be there. But the expert looked at John's shoes -- the left one in particular -- and found that to be a different matter. His attorneys have claimed that police had improper contact with Bevel, who is a former police officer, during the trial. But for John Hamilton, the fight wasn't over. their talk was somewhat unusual because it was something Try again later. "She loved to talk to John," But he never had a chance to do that -- or to tell the cops that the killer had gotten the jewels -- that's because he was put in the back of the police car and never got back inside the house again. Wes Lane: She was talking leaving him. John would have been devastated.". he was upset. Gibson Paul found himself getting dumped on Feb. 14, 2011, grabbed a gun and opened fire . For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The dancer said Hamilton told her he loved his wife and didn't want to get a divorce. the bathroom floor. He was banging his head into the screen. Yeah, I'm going to hang up so I can continue. Wes Lane: He knew that she was still considering divorce. Resend Activation Email. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. "It was a shock to everybody, Hamilton said on the news program. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Bevel was the last witness in the trial, and from everything he testified to under the defense attorney's gentle questioning, he'd helped dr. Hamilton. He wants everything in control in order. And we kissed. They were kind of a unit in that regards. The prosecutor was well aware of the hurdles he faced, not the least of which: the lack of motive. Try again. Add to your scrapbook. A big comfortable house in a top-notch neighborhood, lavish dinner parties, spur of the moment vacations. Feb. 13, 2003 -- Everyone says Susan Hamilton was the love of her husband's life. I didn't notice any blood on his mouth whatsoever. She went in the closet and got one and gave it to me. Watching. Wes Lane: This had a lot of dots to connect. mother, and Horton testified And she gets very suspicious of it and confronts John about it. News network NBC did a Dateline episode about the case. His long silence behind bars ended as he prepared to tell the jury -- and us -- what really had happened that Valentine's Day morning. It took the jury less than two hours to convict Hamilton of first-degree murder, and he was later sentenced to life in prison. Susan was attractive, intelligent. Her naked body was discovered by her husband, John. They found a disturbing scene that didn't suit a moneyed neighborhood. Martin said Hamilton was hysterical when he found his wife, and after he called 911, he realized his car was blocking the driveway so he went to move it, getting his wife's blood and flesh inside the vehicle. However, there is no credible evidence that he is still alive or dead. John Hamilton: My wife's, my wife, my wife I think my wife is dead. Alliena Aguirre, a topless dancer for eight years, testified she had performed table dances at two Oklahoma City clubs for the doctor. In fact, she even told her best friend Sharry, "I don't believe John had an affair." No affidavit was filed with the formal charges because John Hamilton is in custody. the defendant was calling her 10 in december 2001, ten months after the valentine's day killing of his wife susan, dr. john hamilton was being tried for her murder. By 10:45, he was on his way home again, which is when he says he discovered Susan in a pool of blood. A prominent doctor's wife is murdered on Valentine's Day. Was he trying to cover up earlier injuries? After the second surgery, he returned home to pick up his datebook, and found his wife, he said. The stripper did it. "Moments like that in the courtroom just don't happen like that. So I answered. And the shoe splattered with Susan's blood from different directions as she was being killed? Around 8:50 a.m., he said, he was beeped because he was late for another procedure. After 14 years of marriage, John Hamilton murdered his wife. Supervised and trained employees in office duties, computer programs, and phone dialog. He told Primetime the spatters were "almost a neon sign pointing towards the wearer of this shirt being associated with the beating.". Susan Hamilton, 55, had been strangled with two neckties and beaten. Defense attorney Mack Martin told jurors in his opening statement, "John and Susan Hamilton were head over heels in love with each other. Shary Coffey, Susan Hamilton's best friend for 37 years, testified the victim told her on Feb. 7 that she thought her husband was having an affair. Dennis Murphy, Dateline NBC: Who was she? And you could overlay the pattern transfer right on top of the wound, and you see an immediate -- I mean, they match up. "They have still got all kinds of scientific and technical evidence that has to be evaluated and reviewed, Martin said. Dennis Murphy: Jurors saying, "Look at this shirt. How the case changed, the bottom fell out of everything. What happened to him? Not necessarily a killer's shoe, countered the defense expert, but the shoe of Dr. Hamilton as he gave his wife CPR. But I didn't wanna believe that or give up. Of course, he didn't have the actual murder weapon to make a true comparison but he was able to leave the jury with a vivid impression: The doctor's shirt may have taken a kind of photograph in blood. The defense was dealt a setback at the start of trial. And while he may have stepped over his boundaries professionally, he said he never had an affair with her. And I just don't think that it's true." Prosecutors had made a big deal about the doctor showing up late for his second surgery that morning. Contact [email protected] for more information. "We talked in The Hamiltons' 14-year marriage apparently had been in trouble for some time before the slaying. They do on Perry Mason, but they don't in the real world.". It read, "A reward in heaven will be bestowed on anyone contributing to bringing this murderer to justice."
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