In this case, though, the spouse had an alibi, and a good one. The attacker poured cleaning solution in the drain in an attempt to prevent investigators finding blood in the shower, the investigator said. It was seen as a coup for the defense that it locked up one of the most highly regarded blood spatter experts in the nation. The perpetrator then turned up the heat in the bathroom so the water in the shower would evaporate, he said. Ross Gardner: This was a relatively contained crime scene. It read, "A reward in heaven will be bestowed on anyone contributing to bringing this murderer to justice." Steve Jimerson: She was very strongly pro-choice, and-- and very outspoken about it, about the right of women. Horton said. There was a detail that the witness wanted to talk about. The shoes were found next to Susan's body -- john said they fell off his feet as he was attempting to revive her. But the expert looked at John's shoes -- the left one in particular -- and found that to be a different matter. Tom Bevel: I would believe that they thought that, yes. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Tom Bevel, a veteran of almost three decades with the Oklahoma City P.D. Wes Lane: Nothing. There were no John Hamilton, a prominent Oklahoma City gynecologist, has been in jail Now, keep in mind, John Hamilton was a doctor who performed abortions. Contact supportservices@okmedicalboard.org for more information. He was scraping his knuckles on the screen, mesh screen in the police car. 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. "I don't know, she looks like somebody hurt her." It's Valentine's morning and socialite Susan Hamilton lies nude, smashed in a pool of blood. One unanswered question for investigators is how the killer got out of the house at 3056 Brush Creek Road without leaving a bloody trail. Maybe he ends up terminating that to save his marriage. We took a one-to-one image of his shirt, and we overlay it. Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist, started performing CPR and called 911. And he finally told her that it -- it was a patient and that she was down on her luck and havin' hard times and he was just helping her out. Oops, something didn't work. On "Dateline NBC, as in his legal appeals, Hamilton criticized Bevel and the accuracy of his blood spatter analysis, which Hamilton called "junk science.. asked him to move out of their The prosecutor tossed out an open-ended question: Wes Lane: Well, Mr. Bevel, is there anything that either the state's experts or the Oklahoma City Police Department missed in their examination of the evidence? After all, he'd had a busy morning -- performing not just one, but two surgeries with only a brief stop at home in between. A final report will not be completed for several weeks. Inmate John Baxter Hamilton is currently incarcerated in Oklahoma Department of Corrections (OK DOC) located at 3400 N Martin Luther King Ave, Oklahoma City, OK. Connect with john using InmateAid. Dennis Murphy: So, you'd have to think that the opportunistic robber breaking in to steal some jewelry and the TV--. without her knowledge. One of their arguments was that Tom Bevel should never have been allowed to testify. They claim the defendant took from the house his bloody clothes and the blunt instrument used to beat the victim after she was strangled with a man's necktie and her face repeatedly smashed into a tile floor. Then came the prosecutor, Wes Lane's, turn on cross-examination. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. she tried to act strong at first. Even though she had a great education, her passion was to be a good mother. Steve Jimerson: Oh, they were la-la. It was the high society doctor, married to the beautiful wife, that were crazy about one another. By the time emergency workers arrived, it was clear that Susan Hamilton was dead. Discussed procedure quotes. Danyelle shares three haunting love stories that end in tragedy. Skip to main content. As for the discovery of Susan's hair and blood tissue in his car, Hamilton explained it this way: he said after calling 911 he realized the EMTs wouldn't be able to get their ambulance past his car out front, so he raced out to move it. So leaving in a hurry, that's evidence that gets transferred from one thing to another. she hadn't done before. In addition to delivering babies, John Hamilton performed abortions at his clinic, and Susan worked there too. Tom Bevel, a blood spatter expert hired by the defense, testified on cross examination that the "most probable explanation for blood inside Hamiltons shirt sleeve was that he had struck his wife with a blunt object. Shouldn't the killer have left a trace? On Feb. 8, after the victim learned of the cell phone calls, the defendant wrote Aguirre in a letter saying he could no longer be her doctor, she said. AGE 40s John Hamilton Norman, OK View Full Report Used To Live In Relatives Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. The prosecutor refused to release additional information about the slaying that took place at 3056 Brush Creek Road. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. An authoritative figure on the stand turning blood evidence from damning into benign. And the only explanation of that event is the wounding to Mrs. Hamilton. When he met Susan in 1985, they were both divorced with four children between them. was her doctor and gave her Wes Lane: And that's when he started explaining that the blood spatter inside the sleeve. The patient, as Susan discovered, was a stripper at a nightclub. Aguirre said the defendant John Hamilton: Yes. 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 All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. She didn't sound like my mom.". They had regularly scheduled luncheon dates and worked They kept him there for hours on end. Foreman: We, the jury and panel, sworn in the above-entitled cause, do upon our oath sign as follows. The victim told her daughter in their Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. I mean, I knew Susan was dead. In particular, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ross Gardner: We took a one-to-one image of Mrs. Hamilton's head -- the injury, the laceration. The case now landed in the hands of Wes Lane, the district attorney who would try Dr. John Hamilton for murder. What was she like? An important clue came in the card Susan had written to her husband, which had a handwritten note reading: "I bought my cards two weeks ago, so I guess maybe they don't seem as appropriate now. Macy said he will ask that bond be denied for John Hamilton. He left in a hurry, obviously, the first time that he was at the house. Prosecutors had made a big deal about the doctor showing up late for his second surgery that morning. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. At the end, I think she was calmer and she said, "I'm gonna think about it.". If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. You'd have to believe that he committed the violent murder in that narrow window between his two surgeries. And we kissed. It was Susan's good jewelry. Dennis Murphy: You thought that the second operation was gonna be backed up? sentenced to prison for life with or without the possibility of parole. And-- my children started, "Well, I'll never celebrate it again." Prosecutors claim Susan Hamilton's flesh and blood found inside John Hamilton's car came from the clothes and the blunt instrument. The only thing that he could think of that it was consistent with was John Hamilton when he was beating her with that blunt instrument that was driving that up inside his shirt. 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. Tom Bevel: In order to say that, you have to have the murder weapon. There was no sign of forced entry in the house and nothing was missing, making it unlikely Susan Hamilton, who was 55, was killed by a burglar. Then came Valentine's Day 2001. Let's put it this way, nothing that we could really present. A very nice, innocent guy was facing a nightmare. Was he nervous about what an examination of his body would reveal? To investigators, that delay opened up the doctor's window of opportunity by up to an hour. The doctor and his wife built an envious lifestyle for themselves. She had been strangled, and her face had been repeatedly Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. "John said she had said something about divorce," Coffey said. (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. Mack Martin, the doctor's attorney, said, "We're going to enter a plea of not guilty, obviously. Steve Jimerson: They all said he was just as normal and jovial as he always was. After two hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. He says he did Susan Hamilton, 55, had discovered on her husband's telephone bills Vandalizing his home. If convicted, he could be There was an error deleting this problem. Supervised and trained employees in office duties, computer programs, and phone dialog. In that card, Susan had written a message alluding to the couple's flare-up just days before: Susan ballistic over suspicions that he was having a fling with a stripper. She went in the closet and got one and gave it to me. Whoever killed her had cracked her skull open with an object never found, and bashed her face into the bathroom tile. Why do you do that? He said the blood got on the steering wheel when he stopped doing CPR for a moment to move his car before the emergency vehicles arrived. "I always took threats like that seriously," he said. wife repeatedly throughout the How the case changed, the bottom fell out of everything. It was never on any abortion protesters. This browser does not support getting your location. John Hamilton: You know, I've come to find out that blood spatter is really junk science. Steve Jimerson: I was afraid for his safety. We changed it to, instead, that-- Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love. This is a carousel with slides. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The defense says the scratches could have been made by a number of objects besides fingernails. brain to figure that out," Horton testified. There is a problem with your email/password. And both John and Susan had received threatening phone calls that week. But his argument wouldn't be enough. Wes Lane, the prosecutor, was surprised to find he had an unpopular case on his hands. degree murder trial of her stepfather, Dr. His attorneys have claimed that police had improper contact with Bevel, who is a former police officer, during the trial. . On Tuesday, District Judge Virgil Black allowed the doctor to attend his wife's graveside service under the supervision of sheriff's deputies. Susan's friend, for one, believed him, and encouraged Susan to do the same. He did not think it could have come from giving CPR. their talk was somewhat unusual because it was something link True Crime Videos Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Or maybe more likely, an anti-abortion zealot targeting the doctor and his wife? John Hamilton: Right. 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. At Christmas, the defendant Susan Johnston: I said, "Susan, I don't think it's true. I was never gonna see Susan again. Hamilton took the stand to testify in his own defense. Hamilton had told the 911 operator he was performing CPR. For ten months -- ever since that Valentine's Day when he was arrested for the murder of his wife -- John Hamilton had kept his silence behind bars. Horton said her mother got Aguirre testified And, Bradbury says, he didn't see any signs that the doctor had even attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. "There is physical evidence missing from this crime scene, Spruill said. Retha Chamberlain, Special Judge Russell Hall's court clerk, said the process to complete the paperwork would delay the appearance until then. He told Primetime he made the calls to the stripper because she was "in real need of attention.". I think that that just goes to I think probably in my heart I knew she was dead. Add to your scrapbook. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Randy Scott: You know, you wouldn't a had time to washed up. Failed to delete memorial. Susan Hamilton died of blunt force trauma to the head and ligature strangulation or strangulation brought on by something being tied or pulled tightly around her neck, according to the medical examiner's preliminary report. Please reset your password. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. If convicted of first-degree murder, Hamilton, 53, could be sentenced to life in prison with or without the possibility of parole. In this article, youll learn more about Susan Hamiltons murder. she needed when she couldn't Two African Americans had earned medals at the 1904 Olympic games in St. Louis Joe Stadler (from Cleveland) had won a silver medal in the standing high jump and George Poage (from the . Resend Activation Email. Tom Bevel: I was hired-- either the-- the next day, or within two days at least-- of-- of the actual crime-- by the defense. "You could tell she was crying. Because Dr. John Hamilton was late. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton loved his wife to death, District Attorney Wes Lane told an Oklahoma County jury Thursday. OKLAHOMA CITY, January 8, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Abortionist John B. Hamilton, 53, was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife Susan on. Mack Martin: We've got a circumstantial case and I think that the prosecutors in this case were putting as sinister a spin on it as they possibly could. I can only speculate how. John Hamilton had been imprisoned since 2001 on suspicion of murdering his wife. Over the next few months, though, with the help of some unique forensic evidence, the D.A. Just putting out brochures all over his neighborhood and his kids' school that, you know, said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive.". Had he hurt himself? Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. All rights reserved. And then she decides to eliminate her competition. "I didn't find any evidence of blood leading up to the front door. "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. And I didn't want any obstruction. Maybe they missed it altogether. Before Susan Hamilton died, Coffey said, the victim had changed her mind and thought that her husband was not having an affair. Given the circumstances, he was accused of murdering his wife. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Dennis Murphy, Dateline NBC: Who was she? The doctor stopped giving his wife cardiopulmonary resuscitation and went to move the car, but he was shaking so badly he couldn't get the key in the ignition, defense attorney Mack Martin said. If you can get whiplash in a courtroom, that's what happened. Susan demanded to see John's cell phone bill, and when she got a hold of it her worst fears seemed to be realized. Not necessarily a killer's shoe, countered the defense expert, but the shoe of Dr. Hamilton as he gave his wife CPR. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; . Prosecutors may finish calling their witnesses today. According to the investigation, he was the perpetrator of his wifes murder. Everyone who knew the couple was saying the same thing -- it just didn't make sense for the mild-mannered doctor to have killed Susan. Product Description. Did you understand what she was saying in it? The prosecutor was well aware of the hurdles he faced, not the least of which: the lack of motive. Oklahoma. And as the detectives looked more closely into the doctor's timeline that morning, they saw a hole -- not a big one but maybe enough time to kill and get back. Weve updated the security on the site. It took the jury less than two hours to convict Hamilton of first-degree murder, and he was later sentenced to life in prison. He died in October 2021, according to information obtained from a different source. John Hamilton: The more Susan and I talked about things the more things were clarified, the more things we got straightened out. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. wanted to talk to someone," However, the investigation revealed that the murderer was John Hamilton himself. Neighbors told police that in the weeks before the killing the Hamiltons had been having marital problems. He'd been told that the surgery before his was running long and he decided to use the delay to run home and give his wife a valentine. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It was looked for extensively. John Hamilton: I was frantic. Dick Horton, sometimes worried for his ex's safety. The doctor had been targeted by a militant antiabortion group, the Army of God, whose members have expressed support for the 1998 sniper killing of an abortion provider in New York State. A big comfortable house in a top-notch neighborhood, lavish dinner parties, spur of the moment vacations. much I love your mother and I They found a disturbing scene that didn't suit a moneyed neighborhood. This account has been disabled. Just, you know, just a very light-hearted conversation. Johnston said she thought John Hamilton, 53, ordered an expensive arrangement of red orchids for his wife, but he never got the chance to give them to her. Prosecutors are trying to prove Hamilton hid his bloody clothes and the blunt instrument used to kill the victim. Her husband was arrested that day and later charged with her murder. The couple had exotic vacations and a beautiful house, and after 14 years of marriage, friends and family say they were inseparable, and very much in love. Dr. John Hamilton placed the initial 911 call after his wife was strangled and beaten to death in Oklahoma on Valentine's Day 2001. . Try again later. neighbor. It was over by 8, and afterwards, John stopped by the hospital, where he had another procedure scheduled for later that morning. What happened to him? afford them. "The prosecution will present one theory," Martin said. He says he did not kill his wife. 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. Have a good day. John R. Hamilton Jr. John Ray Hamilton, Jr., 72, passed away at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo on Friday, January 6, 2023. They'd learned that second surgery, originally scheduled for 9 am, hadn't actually gotten underway until 9:40. He was arrested and booked into jail about five hours later. 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. Mack Martin: I never saw anything to indicate that John said, "If I can't have you, nobody can.". Nothing was stolen, and yet, there was this curious story that cropped up in the days after Susan had been murdered. "Moments like that in the courtroom just don't happen like that. Around 8:50 a.m., he said, he was beeped because he was late for another procedure. And while there were scenarios to serously consider: a berserk robber, or maybe the legion of activists opposed to the couple's abortion practice, the crime scene wasn't telling them that. Right away, detectives started asking: Who could be responsible? It took the jurors just two hours to reach their verdict. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. The investigator testified he thought the killer first took a shower and then let the water run for an extended period of time. It doesn't always happen that way. If I really did it, if it would, if it would clear my conscience, but I didn't do it. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Hamilton, 53, was taken into custody just over an hour after he called 911, saying his wife was "hurt" and "bleeding all over the place." If I was the guy they think I am, then, what do I have to lose by telling the truth? "He was just obsessed with her," District Attorney Wes Lane later told Primetime. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Try again later. However, before the trial Bevel had also found some blood spatters in Hamilton's right sleeve that the prosecution expert had overlooked. And I think she just wanted to have somebody to talk to. Defense attorney Mack Martin told jurors in his opening statement, "John and Susan Hamilton were head over heels in love with each other. Shibley and Horton told the Dennis Murphy: There were people that thought this guy was being sandbagged, railroaded. IE 11 is not supported. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I was shaking so much I was unsuccessful. The doctor was still in shock, as the judge added his opinion. Which means if John Hamilton didn't do it, you'd have to believe whoever did arrived right as he was leaving, or had been waiting inside all along. They have got DNA, fingerprints, lab reports that haven't even been looked at yet. But I do love you. He was jailed immediately and denied any bail. Rob Nigh: Either Tom Bevel lied to the defense about what his testimony would be or defense counsel took a risk that should never be taken. On Feb. 14, 2001, he phoned 911 to report finding his wife in the master bathroom of their Quail Creek home. And oh! And she gets very suspicious of it and confronts John about it. Instead they uncover a horrific crime scene, with two badly mutilated bodies. Gibson Paul found himself getting dumped on Feb. 14, 2011, grabbed a gun and opened fire . 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. So he hid his wife's jewelry before the 911 forces arrived, fully intending to get it out of the house sometime later. "He said he was wracking his Police haven't found the murder weapon or the clothes. One says, "The shoes is what convicts him." Try again later. John Hamilton: I talked to the surgery nurse and she said, "The surgery before yours started 30 minutes late.". Dr. Steve Jimerson -- a colleague of John's -- was best man. On Valentines Day 2001, John Hamilton murdered his wife Susan. Tom Bevel: I expected an objection. After 14 years of marriage, John Hamilton murdered his wife. Vesta Hall: I have never, ever, one second, not one moment in time have I ever thought he was guilty. What motive? Dennis Murphy: Until that Valentine Day morning, there was no-- no anger issues, no histories of this guy hit-- hittin' the switch and flipping out, and-. They said the police had focused on Hamilton too quickly, and not paid enough attention to the threats from antiabortion activists. felt deceived.". And Susan's getting ready you know, trying to get dressed. Quail Creek home. It was never on anyone that, there were calls that were made to Susan that scared her that weren't brought out. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. John Hamilton: I still believed that the system would work. In 1987, John Hamilton married Susan, and his wife began working part-time at Johns clinic. Something he'd noted and what would later be regarded as the atomic bomb of the trial of Dr. John Hamilton. 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. Nothing was found. She said he paid her $100 and $80 for the dances that cost $20 each. The jurors, all women and the youngest members on the panel, wiped their eyes with tissues while Dr. Jeffrey Gofton, a forensic pathologist for the state Medical Examiner's office, testified he believes Susan Hamilton, 55, died from possibly three blows to her head with a blunt instrument. The procedure came off without a hitch, and later none of the other doctors reported anything at all unusual in his behavior. On Valentine's Day morning, Susan Hamilton had been strangled and brutally beaten in her bathroom. some 60 cell phone calls to a stripper. her daughter was taking sides And what do robbers take? ). So I answered. Failed to remove flower. And while he may have stepped over his boundaries professionally, he said he never had an affair with her. day. John Hamilton and Alliena We checked every avenue of any burglary similar, remotely close in the neighborhood. Coffey testified that the defendant, also a friend, called her almost daily that last week, talking about the couple's problems.

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