Just the week before Susan was murdered, this wanted poster had been left for Dr. Hamilton. without bail since Feb. 14. Wes Lane: It was huge. I was never gonna see Susan again. Around 8:50 a.m., he said, he was beeped because he was late for another procedure. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. John Hamilton was a devoted husband to his wife, and he used to take excellent care of her. 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. In 2001, Oklahoma abortion provider Dr. John Baxter Hamilton beat his wife and then choked her to death in their home. According to the investigation, he was the perpetrator of his wifes murder. 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. All rights reserved. Drag images here or select from your computer for Susan Shibley Hamilton memorial. John Hamilton: Please, please, send police, please send an ambulance, please. Discussed procedure quotes. If convicted, he could be their talk was somewhat unusual because it was something John Hamilton: I talked to the surgery nurse and she said, "The surgery before yours started 30 minutes late.". The scene was a bloody mess. Or maybe more likely, an anti-abortion zealot targeting the doctor and his wife? Is it possible that here in conservative Oklahoma, she had been murdered by an anti-abortion zealot? You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. Dick: Right. 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 claims Oklahoma City police jumped to the conclusion that Hamilton was the killer and ignored other evidence. 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. However, the investigation revealed that the murderer was John Hamilton himself. Tom Bevel denies lying about his testimony, and the courts didn't buy the argument either. And, as expected, his take on the story told by the blood put his client, Dr. Hamilton, in a better light. 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? Why do you do that? I mean, because it was out there in view, I guess. she needed when she couldn't As is routine in domestic murders, the detectives would take a look at the spouse -- John Hamilton, himself. Please enter your email and password to sign in. I mean, trying to set fire to his clinic. Prosecutors claim the defendant had fingernail scratches on one of his shoulders when he was arrested. Rob Nigh: I've been doing criminal trials and appeals for 22 years and I've never seen a case like Dr. Hamilton's where the defense expert offered the most compelling evidence against the defendant. 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. He had been up at dawn for a 7 am surgery at an outpatient clinic. The expert, though, was certain that whoever was wearing that left shoe that day was present when Susan Hamilton was being bludgeoned to death. Hamilton was wearing bloodstained clothing, but no shoes or necktie, while the victim had a necktie around her neck. Angela Horton testified Friday in Oklahoma County District Court that her One of their arguments was that Tom Bevel should never have been allowed to testify. A system error has occurred. John Hamilton: No, she's not breathing, I don't get a pulse. The note made police question whether the Hamiltons' marriage was as happy as it had seemed, and they began to regard Hamilton as a suspect. "I didnt kill Susan.. He told them he had been frantically trying to save her life. Failed to report flower. The conviction of Oklahoma City resident Dr. John Hamilton in the 2001 Valentine's Day murder of his wife Susan Hamilton will be examined on "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones" in an episode titled "Loved to Death," airing at 9 p.m. Monday on Investigation Discovery. been upset because she suspected her In particular, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Maybe he ends up terminating that to save his marriage. 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. said Johnston, who also is married to a doctor. Steve Jimerson: Oh, they were la-la. Two weeks later he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Wes Lane: They're not gonna do that. It's a vivid picture. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. It was looked for extensively. I was scared. They had been living a privileged life with their four children, and John was known in those days for being a romantic man toward his wife. Steve Jimerson: They all said he was just as normal and jovial as he always was. 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. I have a bad habit of trying to do too much in too short a period of time. 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 After two hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. There's no tracks that ran out through the creek bed and behind. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. And that justice would come out. One says, "The shoes is what convicts him." Theo , Hamilton l bc s sn ph khoa ti nng thnh ph Oklahoma. 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. It was about that bloody shirt taken from the doctor. smashed into the floor. Oops, something didn't work. "I always took threats like that seriously," he said. By then there'd been that neighbor's tip about problems in the Hamilton marriage. She denied having an affair or any type of personal relationship with the defendant. The way that we are taught to do CPR, we interlock our hands. a crowd lined up to attend the proceedings. 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. "There is a science to blood spatters," Lane said. Something he'd noted and what would later be regarded as the atomic bomb of the trial of Dr. John Hamilton. 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." Dr. John Baxter Hamilton is on trial for killing his wife. John Hamilton: Right. His long silence behind bars ended as he prepared to tell the jury -- and us -- what really had happened that Valentine's Day morning. Foreman: We, the jury and panel, sworn in the above-entitled cause, do upon our oath sign as follows. To the prosecutor, the Valentine's Day card John had received that morning lit the fuse for the violence that followed. What's more, only days before the murder, another anti-abortion group had applied for a permit to stage a protest in front of Hamiltons house. John Hamilton: I'm telling the truth now. And I was wrong. Let's put it this way, nothing that we could really present. "It tells a story. Thanks for your help! upset about the incident because Susan Hamilton thought clinic two days a week. A lot of the blood on his clothing could be explained by his attempt to administer CPR. How the case changed, the bottom fell out of everything. A big comfortable house in a top-notch neighborhood, lavish dinner parties, spur of the moment vacations. And so, the motive was love lost. Susan Hamilton, 55, had discovered on her husband's telephone bills 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. What made John show his dark side? If so, how? (Oklahoma Department of Corrections) Dr. John Hamilton placed the. Both had recently separated -- John from his first wife, and Susan from Dick Horton. By that afternoon, police had taken the doctor down to the station. All rights reserved. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. 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. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Was he nervous about what an examination of his body would reveal? Hamilton, a frequent target of protesters opposed to abortions, was arrested about six hours after he made a 911 call reporting that he thought his wife was dead. "He was just obsessed with her," District Attorney Wes Lane later told Primetime. Lane said a bloody imprint of what is believed to be the blunt instrument was discovered on the defendant's shirt. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. sentenced to prison for life with or without the possibility of parole. 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. There were no Susan Johnston: She was upset and angry with John. Bevel and prosecutors have denied those allegations. Dick: They had to find the stripper. I gave her her Valentine's card. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. And, as you might guess, it was a job that came with a little danger -- anti-abortion protestors were a curbside reality. A lot of impact spatter. The defense also hired a respected crime scene investigator, Tom Bevel, as an expert witness. I think she became particularly alarmed when he didn't answer it. "She I do not think that John's havin' an affair. Dennis Murphy: They're gonna accuse you of trying to cover up the scratches that Susan made defensively as you were killing her. The doctor's behavior in the minutes after finding Susan dead seemed "off.". 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 investigator testified he thought the killer first took a shower and then let the water run for an extended period of time. John Hamilton: The more Susan and I talked about things the more things were clarified, the more things we got straightened out. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Their fourteen-year marriage, however, resulted in Susans heinous murder. Add to your scrapbook. The shoes were found next to Susan's body -- john said they fell off his feet as he was attempting to revive her. He wants everything in control in order. day. In this case, though, the spouse had an alibi, and a good one. Gardner carefully examined everything the doctor had been wearing that morning. Wes Lane: So somebody would have had to come in, get enraged, surprised her, and thrown her to the ground, and done the rest. Dr. John Baxter Hamilton loved his wife to death, District Attorney Wes Lane told an Oklahoma County jury Thursday. And we kissed. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He told the jury he loved his wife and tried to save her. They'd been suspicious earlier, back at the house when he scratched his hands against the cage in the police car. "There is physical evidence missing from this crime scene, Spruill said. When police arrived, they observed Hamilton doing chest compressions on . Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Hamilton took the stand to testify in his own defense. without her knowledge. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They had regularly scheduled luncheon dates and worked 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. Given the circumstances, he was accused of murdering his wife. The medical examiner released a preliminary cause of death Friday. Now, courtoom lawyers like to talk about Perry Mason moments when a trial is electrified by unexpected testimony, but it hardly ever happens. And they've got a lady under anesthesia without the doctor, and that is just unheard of. Horton told the jurors her mother had We all know red is for the ribbon on the box of chocolate, not for the pool of blood in the master bath. I just, I wanted them to be able to get in and help. Skip to main content. I mean, he fawned over her a lot. the Hamiltons had over Christmas over the defendant's payment for his son's car repairs People used to believe they were in deep romantic love back then. Maybe they missed it altogether. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? News network NBC did a Dateline episode about the case. 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? Testimony is expected to continue this morning before District Judge Ray Elliott. 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. Hamilton, an obstetrician-gynecologist, started performing CPR and called 911. John Hamilton: It was a shock to everybody. They do on Perry Mason, but they don't in the real world.". The national media outlets refused to identify Hamilton as an abortionist, referring to him only as a local obstetrician. Marks made by the victim's fingernails were found on the body. was upset and denying he had Dennis Murphy: There were people that thought this guy was being sandbagged, railroaded. told Horton her mother had Her naked body was discovered by her husband, John. Not least of all in a bloody crime there were no footprints leading out of the house. There was a problem getting your location. On Valentine's Day morning, Susan Hamilton had been strangled and brutally beaten in her bathroom. We actually believe that-- that-- John Hamilton was trying to clean things up before he got paged. Things weren't nearly as bad as they portrayed them to be. Sounded like he was talking to Susan. Even though she had a great education, her passion was to be a good mother. Still, there was the doctor's seemingly solid alibi. Dennis Murphy: So that was the reason you went home? The Hamiltons' 14-year marriage apparently had been in trouble for some time before the slaying. "She was angry, and she "Susan never said that to me. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. Dennis Murphy: So these things that you say are kind of like out of focus- moving the car, there was the other thing -- the business about moving her jewelry, hiding it in her drawer? He was born on April 23, 1950 in Phenix City, Alabama. And there wasn't an objection. asked him to move out of their For Susan's family and friends, the case is now closed, but it may never bring closure. Wes Lane: John Hamilton is a control guy. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Her husband was arrested that day and later charged with her murder. After all, he'd had a busy morning -- performing not just one, but two surgeries with only a brief stop at home in between. He left in a hurry, obviously, the first time that he was at the house. However, their investigation continues. The cry for help comes from Oklahoma City's most exclusive neighborhood. It was never anywhere else. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. neighbor. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Now this was the reasoning as prosecutors saw it: The doctor wanted the police to believe the crime had started as a robbery. so alone in my life,'" Horton said. 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. Susan Johnston: He just couldn't have done it. 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. problems. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Officers say they can account for all the bloody footprints inside the house, but there is no evidence showing how the person got outside.