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. Sorry! Please. All rights reserved. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton is on trial for killing his wife. the defendant was calling her 10 ", Hamilton denies that he was having an affair or that his wife wanted a divorce. Tom Bevel, the blood spatter expert hired by Dr. John Hamilton, had wrapped up his questioning under defense attorneys. They said the police had focused on Hamilton too quickly, and not paid enough attention to the threats from antiabortion activists. Just, you know, just a very light-hearted conversation. pic.twitter.com/9VBREeKO87, The Spooky Hour (@SpookyHour) February 15, 2021. 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. afford them. doctors. neighbor. They will bring them in here. Jurors have spent two days hearing testimony and looking at photographs of the bloody crime scene and injuries the victim suffered. Antiabortion protesters had picketed the clinic and, friends said, even their home. Then the prosecutor rose for his cross-examination. He told Primetime he made the calls to the stripper because she was "in real need of attention.". tears.". Try again later. It took the jury less than two hours to convict Hamilton of first-degree murder, and he was later sentenced to life in prison. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Thanks for your help! She was strangled with a necktie and then her face was repeatedly smashed into the tile floor in the bathroom of her Quail Creek home. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . Please, hurry. 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. A prominent doctor's wife is murdered on Valentine's Day. "There is physical evidence missing from this crime scene, Spruill said. 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? But his argument wouldn't be enough. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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 doctor said he'd even started seeing a therapist on his own, to earn back Susan's trust, and that she, Susan, had decided to go into counseling with him. It was one of those moments. 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. Shibley and Horton told the We don't have a weapon. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Things weren't nearly as bad as they portrayed them to be. Foreman: We, the jury and panel, sworn in the above-entitled cause, do upon our oath sign as follows. John Hamilton: No, she's not breathing, I don't get a pulse. One thing everyone who knew the couple -- including the neighbor -- seemed to agree on -- was that whoever Susan's killer was, it certainly was not John Hamilton. After arriving at the crime scene, investigators placed john in the back of a police car. Dennis Murphy: There were people that thought this guy was being sandbagged, railroaded. But for John Hamilton, the fight wasn't over. Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist, started performing CPR and called 911. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Over the next few hours, investigators would explore those theories and more, as they tried to understand just what had happened to Susan Hamilton that Valentine's Day morning. And that wasn't all. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Two months before her death, they fought over the defendant giving his son money without Susan Hamilton knowing about it. She had been strangled with two of his ties, and her head had been smashed so badly that parts of her brain were exposed. Her skull had The timeline was extremely tight for the doctor to even be considered as a suspect. The procedure came off without a hitch, and later none of the other doctors reported anything at all unusual in his behavior. On "Dateline NBC, as in his legal appeals, Hamilton criticized Bevel and the accuracy of his blood spatter analysis, which Hamilton called "junk science.. If convicted of first-degree murder, Hamilton, 53, could be sentenced to life in prison with or without the possibility of parole. Maybe they missed it altogether. "She said, 'I'm scared and I've never felt They took his clothes as evidence, and placed him in an interview room. Susan managed john's abortion clinic, working there two days a week. "She was very upset, very sad," Horton said. This week, ya girls are celebrating Valentines Day a day late. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? "The police said, 'There's my man. 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. That high society doctor was Dr. John Hamilton -- an OB/GYN who in addition to his regular practice, ran an abortion clinic -- a role that in conservative Oklahoma, would bring him some unwelcome notoriety. John Hamilton: I wanted EMT to be able to get in. The dancer said Hamilton told her he loved his wife and didn't want to get a divorce. Try again later. Other little issues about maybe was it a burglary. David Bradbury: The way that this woman had been beaten, I mean, her face was swollen, her face was bloody. Dennis Murphy: Had there been a fling? And so, the motive was love lost. If I was the guy they think I am, then, what do I have to lose by telling the truth? Susan, then 39, and John, 37, each had two children from their first marriages. Furthermore, he has previously requested a retrial, which has been denied each time. If this is real-- if this blood splatter is real science then why should two prominent, national authorities disagree with the findings? 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-. In addition to delivering babies, John Hamilton performed abortions at his clinic, and Susan worked there too. A crowd lined up to attend the proceedings -- loyal patients, former employees, and fellow physicians -- all standing behind the doctor. Dr. John Hamilton, though, was ready to explain it all, and his version of the truth would be completely different than the prosecutor's. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. smashed into the floor. The Hamiltons' 14-year marriage apparently had been in trouble for some time before the slaying. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. I think she became particularly alarmed when he didn't answer it. The medical examiner released a preliminary cause of death Friday. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Make sure that the file is a photo. So in Susan's mind, the affair was not an issue anymore. Susan.". Horton told the jurors her mother had 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. He told the jury he loved his wife and tried to save her. Or maybe more likely, an anti-abortion zealot targeting the doctor and his wife? And that justice would come out. Product Description. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Effectively managed high-volume of product sales. The defense's expert, bevel, couldn't go that far. And then there were these curious stains on the doctor's shirt -- the blood expert thought he saw a similarity between their angular shape, and the wound created on Susan's head. I was horribly wrong. Whoever this woman was, there were way too many calls to and from her. But before that valentine's day was over, they would have a suspect in custody. Teresa Sterling: I interviewed those people. After two hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. Check. "He said, 'You know how Vesta Hall: She was beautiful, vivacious, intelligent, just a really neat lady. her mother, Horton testified in the first- cemeteries found in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. It was a violent scene. Spruill told jurors he believed the attack happened quickly and the victim fought to free the necktie from her neck. What Happened To Dr John Hamilton? general about patients calling He was banging his head into the screen. 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. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Karen Reisig: I personally don't believe a physician could do-- a surgery, go commit a brutal crime of murder. 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. The victim told her daughter in their However, there is no credible evidence that he is still alive or dead. Like the observation made by detectives at the station that he seemed to be checking out scratches to his shoulder? At Christmas, the defendant In 1987, John Hamilton married Susan, and his wife began working part-time at John's clinic. John Hamilton had been imprisoned since 2001 on suspicion of murdering his wife. Online Bill Pay Boards, Committees, and Agencies Coronavirus Reporting Child Abuse requires every health care professional Click here for more information Statewide 24-Hour 1-800-522-3511 Posted on 06/17/2021 STAY CONNECTED! Teresa Sterling: It was violent. He says he did not kill his wife. Neighbors told police that in the weeks before the killing the Hamiltons had been having marital problems. 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. On Feb. 14, 2001, he phoned 911 to report finding his wife in the master bathroom of their Quail Creek home. On Valentine's Day morning, Susan Hamilton had been strangled and brutally beaten in her bathroom. And you could overlay the pattern transfer right on top of the wound, and you see an immediate -- I mean, they match up. Let's put it this way, nothing that we could really present. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. She went in the closet and got one and gave it to me. It read, "A reward in heaven will be bestowed on anyone contributing to bringing this murderer to justice." "We talked in Dick: They had to find the stripper. Was he nervous about what an examination of his body would reveal? "Ultimately, you take an oath to tell the truth and that overrides any allegiance I may have to any client," he said. Hamilton has been held in the Oklahoma County jail for seven days without bond. 0 cemeteries found in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA. Hamilton will have a closed-circuit arraignment before a judge on Friday. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Vandalizing his home. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Both had recently separated -- John from his first wife, and Susan from Dick Horton. What motive? But suspicion began to point closer to home. Prosecutors claim Susan Hamilton's flesh and blood found inside John Hamilton's car came from the clothes and the blunt instrument. I would say less than two minutes. Several witnesses have testified the couple were always together and frequently took Tom Bevel: I expected an objection. One says, "The shoes is what convicts him." much I love your mother and I Dennis Murphy: They're gonna accuse you of trying to cover up the scratches that Susan made defensively as you were killing her. Why do you do that? Then, Holly covers the case of Dr. John Hamilton who loved his wife Susan a little too much. Search above to list available cemeteries. So I answered. Detective Teresa Sterling: He was acting very upset. John Hamilton: Oh, sure. "He said he was wracking his Let's go find some experts to prove our case.' Wes Lane: This had a lot of dots to connect. We changed it to, instead, that-- Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love. John Hamilton, a prominent doctor in Oklahoma City, showered his wife with gifts, starting with a Porsche he gave her the day they married. It was looked for extensively. Dr. Hamilton had a more simple explanation for being late. Possibilities: Was it a robbery gone bad? She said he would give her samples of medication she needed for depression when she didn't have the money to buy prescription drugs. Dr. John Hamilton placed the initial 911 call after his wife was strangled and beaten to death in Oklahoma on Valentine's Day 2001. . at times she insinuated it was too Is it possible that here in conservative Oklahoma, she had been murdered by an anti-abortion zealot? based on information from your browser. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. He was scraping his knuckles on the screen, mesh screen in the police car. Mack Martin: The focus was always on John. I didn't kill Susan. At the trial Lane asked Bevel if there was anything the prosecution had missed that was pertinent. John, the good doctor, was simply trying to counsel her. Randy Scott: She gets the bill and upon looking at the bill she notices-- she starts marking and finds a huge number, and I'm talkin', close to 100 phone calls to this phone, back and forth to John. And I was, you know, I was so nervous. Maybe Chicago gangsters get killed on St. Valentine's day. without bail since Feb. 14. in december 2001, ten months after the valentine's day killing of his wife susan, dr. john hamilton was being tried for her murder. a good marriage, even though Spruill told jurors he has an opinion on how the killer got out of the house without leaving a blood trail even though the evidence doesn't provide an answer. Blood that then transferred from his hands and clothes to the car. By 9:30, he was scrubbing up for the operation -- a complicated removal of a tumor. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. She had been strangled, and her face had been repeatedly But knew she wasn't one easily rattled or intimidated. Could a man have loved his wife to death. Tom Bevel: In order to say that, you have to have the murder weapon. 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Try again later. clinic two days a week. "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. >> i have never, ever one second, not one moment in time, thought he was guilty, Dennis Murphy: So that was the reason you went home? John Hamilton: I was frantic. Hamilton reportedly had come home from the hospital where he worked to get his planner and discovered his wife, 55-year-old Susan Hamilton, lying. As the last witness in the trial, he'd refuted a lot of the prosecution's findings, and bolstered his client's case. Good amount of blood. I told some people at the clinic, "I wish I had someone that would look at me the way John looks at Susan." Dr. John Baxter Hamilton was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He had been up at dawn for a 7 am surgery at an outpatient clinic. "I think that in and of itself caused the conviction," said Clark Brewster, an attorney who is preparing Hamilton's appeal. "I didnt kill Susan.. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton loved his wife to death, District Attorney Wes Lane told an Oklahoma County jury Thursday. Horton: Anybody that you ask, nobody that I know that knew John Hamilton would say that he had the capability of doing it. Dennis Murphy: And they thought they were very clever 'cause they took you, in effect, off the market. The prosecution hadn't talked about this stain. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? been upset because she suspected her Dennis Murphy: You thought that the second operation was gonna be backed up? Then came Valentine's Day 2001. Bevel said he had no choice but to tell the court what he knew, even if it hurt the client who had hired him. And the seemingly inseparable couple became even more so after they married. husband was having an affair with a patient. said Johnston, who also is married to a doctor. she tried to act strong at first. Police haven't found the murder weapon or the clothes. Wes Lane: We could tell that-- that the blood had been moved around. "It tells a story. The shoes were found next to Susan's body -- john said they fell off his feet as he was attempting to revive her. In fact, she even told her best friend Sharry, "I don't believe John had an affair." deny they were having an affair. Hamilton maintained his innocence throughout his trial, which may have turned on dramatic testimony from the final witness in the case. It was about that bloody shirt taken from the doctor. There was a problem getting your location. Randy Scott: That would cause a suspicion for us to wonder why he's wanting to scrape his hands up. It had all of the appeal of a romance novel gone bad. When asked if there shouldn't have been a blood trail in the house if the defense theory is true, Spruill said: "I would expect that. 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. day. Dick Horton, sometimes worried for his ex's safety. felt deceived.". Lane backed up his theory with physical evidence. Louise Shibley, the victim's She denied having an affair or any type of personal relationship with the defendant. 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. His former medical partner, for one, thinks that would be impossible. John Hamilton: My wife's, my wife, my wife I think my wife is dead. Dennis Murphy: So, you'd have to think that the opportunistic robber breaking in to steal some jewelry and the TV--. 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. A judge earlier ruled there was probable cause to detain Hamilton pending formal charges being filed. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. His supporters, on the other hand, continue to believe he is innocent to this day. 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. 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. Western leaders say the nation lacks credibility, Rishi Sunak leads minutes silence for Ukraine as Boris Johnson lights candle at poignant service, CVS eyes European expansion as vet groups profits boom. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. And oh! On this day, Valentine's Day, in 2001, abortionist John Baxter Hamilton bludgeoned his wife, Susan, to death in their Oklahoma home. According to another source, he will be released from prison on Valentines Day 2021. John Hamilton: I talked to the surgery nurse and she said, "The surgery before yours started 30 minutes late.". 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. An authoritative figure on the stand turning blood evidence from damning into benign. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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? 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 . her daughter was taking sides Randy Scott: You know, you wouldn't a had time to washed up. Quail Creek home. In 1997, Mississippi abortion provider Dr. Malachy Dehenre shot and killed his wife in their . A panicked Hamilton told the operator that he was attempting to perform CPR on her. Oklahoma City police declined on Wednesday to release additional information about the slaying. Two men's ties were tightly knotted about her neck. problems. Because Dr. John Hamilton was late. Investigators though, weren't ruling anything out -- especially not after finding a Valentine's Day card, from her to him, opened that day. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Isn't that what Valentine's Day is supposed to be about? Dennis Murphy: You were starting to see her come around? To the defense team, it seemed obvious from the first moments that investigators never seriously considered any suspects other than the husband. Knowing that they were about to put his patient under anesthesia, Hamilton returned to the clinic, performed the surgery, and then came back home to finish cleaning up, Lane said. When rescue workers arrived they found him hysterical and covered in his wife's blood. A random intruder? 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? Please enter your email and password to sign in. "I didn't find any evidence of blood leading up to the front door. Detective Teresa Sterling: He's supposed to be there. So the strategy would be to pick apart both the evidence and the logic of the prosecution's case. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. "Someone got out of that room without leaving a bloody trail.