Wes Lane: They're not gonna do that. Could a man have loved his wife to death. "I didnt do it, he 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. I was shaking so much I was unsuccessful. However, the investigation revealed that the murderer was John Hamilton himself. Judge: Based upon the comments a majority of the jurors said to me in which they indicated they were very disappointed they didn't have the sentence of death as an option, I would consider yourself, you should consider yourself very lucky. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. John Hamilton called his The judge ruled that he would not allow any testimony about threats the abortion doctor and his wife may have received. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Dennis Murphy: And the card would later become an issue because people saw kind of a snarky line from Susan of, "Well obviously, I got this before the trouble, huh? In 1987, John Hamilton married Susan, and his wife began working part-time at Johns clinic. A very nice, innocent guy was facing a nightmare. Learn more about merges. And so, the motive was love lost. On re-direct, Hamilton's lawyer tried to diffuse the bombshell testimony by suggesting that the spatter could have resulted from the doctor performing cpr. Dick Horton: She calls us and says, "I found the jewelry in her underwear.". I was scared. they thought the Hamiltons had Here there might be a spark of life in your wife and you're giving her CPR, "Oh, I've gotta move the car.". If you can get whiplash in a courtroom, that's what happened. Even the prosecutor, Wes Lane, had to admit that John had been telling the truth about that suspected affair. Horton said her mother got Wes Lane: We could tell that-- that the blood had been moved around. This week, ya girls are celebrating Valentines Day a day late. Aguirre said he was calling her 10 or more times a day. He said he performed a surgery around 7 a.m., then came home to exchange Valentine's cards with his wife. doctors. Over the next few months, though, with the help of some unique forensic evidence, the D.A. In December 2001, ten months after the Valentine's Day killing of his wife, Susan, Dr. John Hamilton was being tried for her murder. lied to her," Horton said. Something happened in that bathroom that absolutely triggered him, which he grabbed the ties, and he then, surprised her, and in his rage, did all the rest of the work. Steve Jimerson: I was afraid for his safety. If I really did it, if it would, if it would clear my conscience, but I didn't do it. Prosecutors may finish calling their witnesses today. The timeline was extremely tight for the doctor to even be considered as a suspect. Susan's friend, Susan Johnston, the woman next door, had pulled one of the investigators aside and put a bug in his ear, that the week before Valentine's Day, Susan Hamilton had confided about problems in her marriage. After arriving at the crime scene, investigators placed john in the back of a police car. Shibley and Horton told the He and his wife, Susan, had met in 1985 at a friend's birthday party. Shop Shop Discount Calls Inmate Deposits Letters and Photos Greeting Cards Postcards Magazines Books Find An Inmate Prison Directory Services He was banging his head into the screen. Year should not be greater than current year. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 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. degree murder trial of her stepfather, Dr. Wes Lane, the prosecutor, was surprised to find he had an unpopular case on his hands. It was one of those moments. And, Bradbury says, he didn't see any signs that the doctor had even attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Investigators had to interpret the blood evidence left behind. Susan Hamilton was angry and stayed at Coffey's house that night, Coffey said. Given the circumstances, he was accused of murdering his wife. A prominent doctor's wife is murdered on Valentine's Day. "My wife's bleeding all over the place," Dr. John Baxter Hamilton tells the 911 operator. A bloody crime scene, a rumored affair, and inappropriate responses led police to arrest John Baxter Hamilton, one of Oklahoma City's most well-known abortionists, hours after his wife was slain on Valentine's Day. "The evidence will be she was just as much in love with him.". Dennis Murphy: Jurors saying, "Look at this shirt. Tom Bevel: I would believe that they thought that, yes. a crowd lined up to attend the proceedings. "He said he was wracking his Randy Scott: John Hamilton was just not the victim's spouse that we were seein'. If this is real-- if this blood splatter is real science then why should two prominent, national authorities disagree with the findings? To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The doctor was still in shock, as the judge added his opinion. "She Dr. Steve Jimerson -- a colleague of John's -- was best man. "You could have heard a pin drop," remembers Lane. We all know red is for the ribbon on the box of chocolate, not for the pool of blood in the master bath. And it was there they noticed something else odd. Susan Johnston: I said, "Susan, I don't think it's true. Link in bio. John Hamilton: Right. Had there been an illicit relationship with this stripper, topless dancer? He says he did not kill his wife. So the strategy would be to pick apart both the evidence and the logic of the prosecution's case. tears.". Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA. On Feb. 14, 2001, he phoned 911 to report finding his wife in the master bathroom of their Quail Creek home. One year later, a battered body is found tossed into a canyon, the eyes and genitals gouged. Failed to report flower. Horton told the jurors her mother had He was arrested and booked into jail about five hours later. the Hamiltons had over Christmas over the defendant's payment for his son's car repairs Johnston said she thought Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? an affair when he called her before the slaying. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Penn's varsity track team, 1905 Dr. John Baxter Taylor, 1908 . "Blood spatter is not an exact science, and Bevel had gone over to the dark side on him. Randy Scott: There's no burglary prints to obtain downstairs. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. The-- they don't agree. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I thought you might like to see a memorial for Susan Shibley Hamilton I found on Findagrave.com. He wants everything in control in order. I was horribly wrong. "When he saw that this incredible woman was looking like she was leaving him, he lost it. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. They found a disturbing scene that didn't suit a moneyed neighborhood. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. not kill his wife. Try again later. Please, hurry. Someone had to leave. brain to figure that out," Horton testified. For example, John Baxter Hamilton, the most prolific abortionist in Oklahoma City, crushed his wife's skull with a blunt object, then returned to his abortion mill to do more abortions. been upset because she suspected her I mean, because it was out there in view, I guess. He was sentenced to life without parole. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Teresa Sterling: I interviewed those people. Prosecutors Allege Murder Between Surgeries. Tom Bevel: I was hired-- either the-- the next day, or within two days at least-- of-- of the actual crime-- by the defense. Dennis Murphy: And they thought they were very clever 'cause they took you, in effect, off the market. Then came Valentine's Day 2001. So, you don't have an object to compare it against. On the steering wheel and driver's side seat and door sill, crime scene investigators recovered strands of susan's hair and a piece of her flesh. By 9:30, he was scrubbing up for the operation -- a complicated removal of a tumor. If anything, threats against the clinic, only seemed to bring the Hamiltons closer together. And in photos of the crime scene, the prosecutor pointed out for jurors something that needed explaining -- a wet rag left in the pool of blood from the victim's head. He's crazy about you. 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 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. I mean, trying to set fire to his clinic. 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. in december 2001, ten months after the valentine's day killing of his wife susan, dr. john hamilton was being tried for her murder. Instead, he says, he came home between surgeries that morning to pick up his datebook and was horrified to find his wife lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood. The defense was dealt a setback at the start of trial. On the other hand, his name appears in a few obituaries on the internet. Because Dr. John Hamilton was late. "They have still got all kinds of scientific and technical evidence that has to be evaluated and reviewed, Martin said. You have a good marriage. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. David Bradbury: He had one hand on her chest, one hand on her abdomen, attempting to do compressions in this manner right here. Pictures of his injuries have been shown to the jury. Taping him on the surveillance camera. Please try again later. The way that we are taught to do CPR, we interlock our hands. she needed when she couldn't (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. "She was taken down almost immediately and spun onto her face, Spruill said. One of their arguments was that Tom Bevel should never have been allowed to testify. Before Susan Hamilton died, Coffey said, the victim had changed her mind and thought that her husband was not having an affair. A lot of the blood on his clothing could be explained by his attempt to administer CPR. 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. Ever. Every avenue was checked. John Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Oklahoma City before murdering his wife in 2001, was a well-known obstetrician-gynecologist. And finally, there was the story told by blood. based on information from your browser. 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. much.". much I love your mother and I Oops, something didn't work. By then there'd been that neighbor's tip about problems in the Hamilton marriage. "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. And for that, they hired a blood stain expert Named Ross Gardner. Wes Lane: So somebody would have had to come in, get enraged, surprised her, and thrown her to the ground, and done the rest. Her face savaged: almost unrecognizable. 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. >> i have never, ever one second, not one moment in time, thought he was guilty, Her husband, Dr. John Hamilton, called 911 and claimed to have found her that way when he returned from one of his surgeries. husband was having an affair with a patient. Something he'd noted and what would later be regarded as the atomic bomb of the trial of Dr. John Hamilton. This browser does not support getting your location. Just the week before Susan was murdered, this wanted poster had been left for Dr. Hamilton. The other says, "It's his shirt that convicts him." Aguirre, also known as Nina, said she first went to the defendant for an abortion in the early 1990s, but she also saw him at his gynecology office. The defense claims Oklahoma City police jumped to the conclusion that Hamilton was the killer and ignored other evidence. Prosecutors claim Susan Hamilton's flesh and blood found inside John Hamilton's car came from the clothes and the blunt instrument. Dennis Murphy: And that you can almost envision whatever that murder weapon is, the-- the bludgeon coming right down on poor Susan's head causing the blood spatter. By 10:45, he was on his way home again, which is when he says he discovered Susan in a pool of blood. deny they were having an affair. 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." Shouldn't the killer have left a trace? Nothing was stolen, and yet, there was this curious story that cropped up in the days after Susan had been murdered. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Contact supportservices@okmedicalboard.org for more information. But suspicion began to point closer to home. They took his clothes as evidence, and placed him in an interview room. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Martin described the victim as being jealous of her husband's time away from her. Then came the prosecutor, Wes Lane's, turn on cross-examination. And be, even be in his right mind. "I think that in and of itself caused the conviction," said Clark Brewster, an attorney who is preparing Hamilton's appeal. Oklahoma City police declined on Wednesday to release additional information about the slaying. trips. And go back and do another surgery. Defense attorney Mack Martin told jurors in his opening statement, "John and Susan Hamilton were head over heels in love with each other. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A prominent Oklahoma City doctor was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole for killing his wife on Valentine's Day. Please send somebody quick. 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. Both had recently separated -- John from his first wife, and Susan from Dick Horton. On "Dateline NBC, as in his legal appeals, Hamilton criticized Bevel and the accuracy of his blood spatter analysis, which Hamilton called "junk science.. 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. 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. Believing that Susan Hamilton's threat of divorce was enough to make the doctor snap, prosecutors developed a theory that the couple had argued that morning after exchanging the cards and the doctor killed his wife. 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 was born on April 23, 1950 in Phenix City, Alabama. free samples of anti-depressants For Susan's family and friends, the case is now closed, but it may never bring closure. And that's what had happened to Susan Hamilton on that Valentine's Day morning. She said he would give her samples of medication she needed for depression when she didn't have the money to buy prescription drugs. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Hamilton, 62, was an Oklahoma City obstetrician, gynecologist and abortionist. We don't have a weapon. At the end, I think she was calmer and she said, "I'm gonna think about it.". A final report will not be completed for several weeks. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton is on trial for killing his wife. 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. was upset and denying he had without her knowledge. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. talked to Susan Johnston, a cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. John Hamilton: Initially, she didn't want to go. Hamilton hired a new attorney, Rob Nigh, to appeal the verdict. Yeah, I'm going to hang up so I can continue. John, the good doctor, was simply trying to counsel her. "I didn't find any evidence of blood leading up to the front door. Testimony is expected to continue this morning before District Judge Ray Elliott. Susan Johnston: Susan had noticed that John was getting a lot of cell calls. On Feb. 14, 2001, he phoned 911 to report finding his wife in the master bathroom of their Quail Creek home. Melanie Martinez is a talented singer. Marks made by the victim's fingernails were found on the body. February 14th, 2001, would have been their fifteenth Valentine's Day together. Dr. John Hamilton placed the initial 911 call after his wife was strangled and beaten to death in Oklahoma on Valentine's Day 2001. . "There is physical evidence missing from this crime scene, Spruill said. "The police said, 'There's my man. Is Lane Kiffin Married To Girlfriend Jennifer Dardano?Lane Kiffin, a well-known football, Is Melanie Martinez Alive Or Dead?
Stacey Silva Height And Weight, Suspended Imposition Of Sentence South Dakota, Hudson And Rex Sarah Pregnant, Kanawha County Indictments 2022, Articles D