Thread: Two Illegal Aliens Held in Slaying of Prom Queen 21 yr old

Police have suspect in slaying of Ala. woman

Name being withheld until forensic tests on evidence complete
By Don Jacobs (Contact), Matt Lakin (Contact)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008





Family photos of Jennifer Hampton

Knoxville police say they have a suspect but haven't finished building the case against him in the killing of Jennifer Lee Hampton, the missing Alabama woman found dead over the weekend.

Police wouldn't give that suspect's name Tuesday, saying only that he's in jail on "unrelated" charges with no bond.

"We are currently awaiting the results of forensic tests being performed on evidence that was recovered during the investigation," Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk wrote in a press release. "Charges in the death of Ms. Hampton will be forthcoming."

Hampton, a 21-year-old native of Waterloo, Ala., disappeared Sept. 19 from her West Knoxville motel room. A fisherman found the former homecoming queen's nude body Saturday floating in Melton Hill Lake, just across the Anderson County line and fewer than 10 miles from the Days Inn on Lovell Road where friends last saw her.

Authorities have held two men on forgery charges since the day the search for Hampton began. KPD Investigator Steve Still said Rogelio Melchor, 38, and Valentino Miranda, 19, worked at the motel and showed phony Social Security cards when asked for identification.

Police say both men admitted to being illegal immigrants. They have been jailed since Sept. 20 with bond set at $10,000, but the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency put a hold on them. That means neither man can leave jail, even with bail money.

Melchor and Miranda lived at the motel, and police searched their room.

Authorities identified Hampton's body on Monday, two days after its discovery in the lake, but haven't said how she died.

Her family's lawyer, Eddie Daniel, said her parents can't thank Still, the other KPD officers or the Knox County medical examiner enough for their work.

"We look forward to this case being brought to justice," Daniel said.

DeBusk wouldn't say whether investigators have found Hampton's clothes or whether video from security cameras at nearby businesses offered any clues.

"We don't want to go into any evidence right now," he said. "There have been various personal items found, but we don't want to go into details."

Hampton left her cell phone behind, which friends said she always kept with her. Police won't say what her phone records show.

Hampton, who planned to start nursing school, had come to Knoxville to help train new workers for the opening of Mama Blue's Buffet. A friend last saw her the night of Sept. 19 heading into her motel room, and her mother talked to her on the phone around 11:30 p.m.

Hampton's co-workers reported her missing the next day, and investigators found the room in "disarray." Police searched the surrounding area for more than a week - using helicopters, dogs and officers marching shoulder-to-shoulder - before her body turned up in the lake Saturday morning.

Hampton's family plan to bury her later this week in a private service in Florence, Ala.

Memorial donations may be made to the Jennifer Hampton Memorial Fund at SunTrust Bank or at Cokesbury United Methodist Church. The family plans to use that money for travel expenses to attend any trials or hearings in the case.

Checks may be sent to the Jennifer Hampton Memorial Fund, Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 9919 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/0 ... er-hampton

I need the most powerful news video on this case you can find that mentions the suspects are illegals.

W

Police Say Body Found in Lake Is Missing Waitress
Jennifer Hampton's Death a Homicide
By SARAH NETTER
Sept. 30, 2008—


Two men already in custody on fraud charges have been declared persons of interest in the death of a 21-year-old waitress whose body was found in a Tennessee lake.

The two men, who were arrested Saturday, have not been charged in connection with the disappearance or murder of Jennifer Hampton.

But Knoxville Public Information Officer Darrell DeBusk told ABCNews.com today that they are considered persons of interest in the disappearance and death of the former high school homecoming queen.

Hampton, of Florence, Ala., was reported missing on Saturday, Sept. 20, while on a business trip to Knoxville with co-workers to set up a new branch of Mama Blues Southern Cafe, an Alabama-based buffet-style restaurant where she worked. Her nude body was found Saturday in Melton Hill Lake about 5 miles from the Days Inn where she was staying.

Police have formally identified the body, although the victim's family had announced that confirmation Monday and began funeral arrangements.

The two men who are being considered as persons of interest in Hampton's death were arrested on unrelated fraud charges. They told police their names were Valentino Miranda, 19, and Rogelio Melchor, 38, and are believed to be illegal immigrants, DeBusk said. DeBusk said the medical examiner had determined a cause of death but would not release the information, citing the ongoing investigation. He expected more news on the case to be released as early as this afternoon, saying "the investigation is moving very briskly."

Hampton's family, including her twin sister, have been in Tennessee since she was reported missing.

Attorney Eddie Daniel, who has been acting as a spokesman for the Hampton family, told ABCNews.com Monday, "They're just good, hardworking folks that never imagined this would happen."

Though police had said there were signs of a struggle in Hampton's hotel room, her family held out hope she would be found safely, Daniel said.

Mama Blues owner Steve Barnhill has told ABCNews.com that the sheets were ripped off the hotel-room bed and that Hampton had told a boyfriend the night of her disappearance that she was concerned about two men outside her room.

DeBusk would not comment on the evidence found in Hampton's hotel room.


Hampton, who had been voted homecoming queen by the student body during her senior year at Waterloo High School, was a quiet girl who surrounded herself with friends, high school principal Ryan Harrison said.

Though Hampton was not an athlete, Harrison said he remembered seeing her at most football and basketball games, cheering on her school's teams.

A participant in school plays, she liked history. Harrison said her former teacher, now the school's assistant principal, always had good things to say about her when she took his class.

The school is very small, graduating about 30 seniors a year. The students all know one another, Harrison said, making Hampton's death that much harder to accept.

"We've had some students come and talk to me" and the school counselor, Harrison said.

On Friday night, hours before the body was found in Tennessee, the school held a fundraiser for her family, collecting more than $700 for its expenses.

Students from Hampton's 2007 graduating class came back for the night's football game and released balloons into the air in her honor.

"Some of the students tied messages to the balloons," Harrison said, "saying 'I hope you're OK. We love you.'"



Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=5918900&page=1

Sources: Hampton strangled; Murder warrant served for Days Inn employee


Posted: 8:55 AM Oct 1, 2008
Last Updated: 9:39 AM Oct 1, 2008
Reporter: Brian Gregory

0 comments
Miranda Warrant


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A | A | A KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WVLT) -- A first degree murder warrant has been served for a Days Inn employee in connection with the death of Alabama waitress Jennifer Hampton.

Valentino Miranda, 19, has been held in the Knox County Detention Center on a forgery charge and a federal detainer since September 20th, the day after Jennifer Hampton disappeared from the Days Inn on Lovell Road.

Eddie Daniel, who represents Hampton's, family says the family is relieved of the news.

"They're relieved at hearing justice is being served in the death of their beloved Jenny," he said. "They will continue to aggressively pursue justice for her until all of the suspects are found guilty in this case."

Daniel also said the family wants to thank Knoxville Police and the Medical Examiner's Office for their quick work on the case.

According to sources, the medical examiner has ruled Hampton was strangled, sometime in the early morning hours of September 20th.

Court sources tell Volunteer TV News, Miranda's wife, who is also an employee at the Days Inn turned over bloody clothes she says Miranda was wearing in the early morning hours of September 20th.

Court sources tell VolunteerTV.com the blood on the clothes matches Hampton's blood.

Those sources tell Volunteer TV News Knoxville Police investigators have evidence to show that Miranda's master key card was used to access Hampton's room at the Days Inn around 2:45 a.m. on September 20th.

Court sources tell Volunteer TV the first degree murder warrant will be served on Miranda sometime this morning, and he will be held on a one million dollar bond.

Stay connected to Volunteer TV News and VolunteerTV.com for continued coverage of this developing news story.


http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/29994939.html

Warrant: Suspect strangled former homecoming queen
Worried wife turned over bloody clothes to police
By Matt Lakin and Don Jacobs
Originally published 08:57 a.m., October 1, 2008
Updated 11:10 a.m., October 1, 2008

Related document
See the murder warrant for Valentino Vasquez Miranda

J. Miles Cary

Valentino Vasquez Miranda


Jennifer Lee Hampton
Obituary
Read Jennifer L. Hampton's obituary in the (Florence, Ala.) Times Daily

Police have suspect in slaying of Ala. woman
Click here for options! Bloody clothes, a used key card and a tip from a worried wife led Knoxville police to the man charged with strangling a former Alabama homecoming queen, court records revealed today.

A fisherman found Jennifer Lee Hampton's nude body floating in Melton Hill Lake on Saturday, seven days after friends reported her missing from her West Knoxville motel room.

Valentino Vasquez Miranda, 19, who's described by police as an illegal immigrant, faces a charge of first-degree murder in her death.

Authorities served him with the warrant this morning in jail.

The charges came a dozen days after Hampton, 21, disappeared from the Days Inn on Lovell Road and four days after the discovery of her body.

Miranda and his wife, Rosa Rodriguez Hernandez, lived and worked at the motel. Knoxville Police Department Investigator Steve Still arrested Miranda and another man the day the investigation began when Still said they showed him bogus Social Security cards.

The same day, Hernandez turned over her husband's bloody clothes, Still wrote in an arrest warrant. DNA tests showed that blood came from Hampton, according to the warrant.

Police believe Miranda used a key card issued by the motel to unlock the door to Hampton's motel room early on the morning of Sept. 20, Still wrote.

Bond on the murder charge was set at $1 million. Miranda could appear in court Oct. 10 for a preliminary hearing.

His lawyer, Joseph Fanduzz, said he hadn't talked with Miranda this morning and wasn't ready to discuss the case.

As Hampton's family heads home to Alabama for her funeral, their attorney says they're taking comfort in Miranda's arrest and hoping other charges will follow.

"The family will attend any and all court hearings," said Eddie Daniel, their lawyer. "We're here for the duration. We understand the investigation is continuing and believe we will see the person or persons responsible for her death brought to justice."

Daniel said Hampton's mother, Cynthia Senn, along with her stepfather, grandmother and sisters, won't ever get over the loss but feel relieved to know the case is moving forward.

"We believe the Knoxville Police Department has a very strong case against him," the lawyer said. "Nobody can understand how any human being can commit such a horrendous act against such a beautiful, caring young lady."

He said the family holds out hope of others being charged as well.

No murder charges have been filed against Rogelio Melchor, 38, the other man arrested on forgery charges at the motel. The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency put a hold on him and Miranda after their arrest. That means neither man can leave jail, even with bail money.

Authorities identified Hampton's body on Monday, two days after its discovery in the lake.

Daniel said Hampton's parents can't thank Still, the other KPD officers or the Knox County medical examiner enough for their work.

"We look forward to this case being brought to justice," Daniel said.

KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk wouldn't say whether investigators have found Hampton's clothes or whether video from security cameras at nearby businesses offered any clues.

"We don't want to go into any evidence right now," he said. "There have been various personal items found, but we don't want to go into details."

Hampton left her cell phone behind, which friends said she always kept with her. Police won't say what her phone records show.

Hampton, a native of Waterloo, Ala., who planned to start nursing school, had come to Knoxville to help train new workers for the opening of Mama Blue's Buffet. A friend last saw her the night of Sept. 19 heading into her motel room, and her mother talked to her on the phone around 11:30 p.m.

Hampton's co-workers reported her missing the next day, and investigators found the room in "disarray." Police searched the surrounding area for more than a week - using helicopters, dogs and officers marching shoulder-to-shoulder - before her body turned up in the lake Saturday morning.

Hampton's family plan to bury her later this week in a private service in Florence, Ala.

Memorial donations may be made to the Jennifer Hampton Memorial Fund at SunTrust Bank or at Cokesbury United Methodist Church. The family plans to use that money for travel expenses to attend any trials or hearings in the case.

Checks may be sent to the Jennifer Hampton Memorial Fund, Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 9919 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922.

More details as they develop online and in Thursday's News Sentinel.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/0 ... mans-death

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3591--0-0.html

The article above put on the Homepage has hundreds of comments left at the source link.

Our FAMILIES are at the mercy of ILLEGALS and their Anchors being murdered, raped, infected with disease, or robbed. We can see the results of the ILLEGAL invasion in our courts every day! But NOT to worry the Chamber of Commerce will get their "cheap labor" increasing "their privatized" PROFITS while socializing the "benefits" for their ILLEGALS on the back of United States Citizens, thanks to Bush, the Congressional Leadership(?), and local elected and appointed officials!!

It doesn’t seem to matter if it is a young women from Alabama attempting to support her family, a Police Officer in Houston attempting to safe guard his city, a high school student in Los Angeles standing in front of his home while his mother is half way around the world defending her/our country, or a father and his sons in San Francisco driving home all became targets of ILLEGALS and were murdered because of the greed of "our" Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors in search of "cheap labor" to help their "bottom line"!

They worked for the hotel and had a master key card they used to enter the room. how many Hotels and motel have illegal aiens with access to your room 7/24?

Thanks you Days Inn I hope the family has you lose the place.

Days Inn Knoxville West/Lovell Road


326 Lovell Rd NW/I-75/40
I-75/40 & Lovell Rd Exit 374
Knoxville, TN 37922 US
Phone: 865-966-5801




Here is a link to Days Inn Corp.

http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/ ... ct_us_form



Let them no how you feel about IAs having access to your room when you sleep
Fax: 865-966-1755

Heavy fines and FELONY jail time for ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS!

Did the policies of a SANCTUARY City make this murder possible?

I repeat "Our" FAMILIES are at the mercy of ILLEGALS and their Anchors being murdered, raped, infected with disease, or robbed. We can see the results of the ILLEGAL invasion in our courts every day! But NOT to worry the Chamber of Commerce will get their "cheap labor" increasing "their privatized" PROFITS while socializing the "benefits" for their ILLEGALS on the back of United States Citizens, thanks to Bush, the Congressional Leadership(?), and local elected and appointed officials!!

New updated article dated Oct. 2, much of the same information but many additional comments!

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/0 ... /#comments

Motel worker accused in Jennifer Lee Hampton's slaying
Illegal immigrant used key to enter room, kill Alabamian, police say
By Matt Lakin (Contact)
Thursday, October 2, 2008

The lock on Jennifer Lee Hampton's motel room door couldn't keep out her killer, authorities said Wednesday.

Police say an illegal immigrant who worked there used his master key card to open that door, then strangled the former homecoming queen from Alabama in her West Knoxville motel room during the early morning of Sept. 20.

Valentino Vasquez Miranda, 19, faces a charge of first-degree murder in Hampton's death. Authorities served him with the warrant Wednesday morning in jail, where he's been held on a forgery charge since Hampton's death more than a week ago.

Miranda remains there with bond set at $1 million. His lawyer, Joseph Fanduzz, said he hadn't talked with Miranda and couldn't discuss the case yet.

The charges came a dozen days after Hampton, 21, disappeared from the Days Inn on Lovell Road and four days after a fisherman found her nude body floating in Melton Hill Lake, fewer than 10 miles from the motel. A preliminary autopsy found she'd been strangled.

Hampton, a native of Waterloo, Ala., planned to enter nursing school and had come to Knoxville to help train new workers for the opening of Mama Blue's Buffet restaurant. Friends and family plan to say their goodbyes at a memorial service today.

Hampton's mother, Cynthia Senn, along with her stepfather, grandmother and sisters, learned of the arrest as they headed home to Alabama for the funeral, said their lawyer, Eddie Daniel.

"We believe the Knoxville Police Department has a strong case against him," Daniel said. "We understand the investigation is continuing and believe we will see the person or persons responsible for her death brought to justice."

Motel records for Miranda's key card, together with his bloody clothes and a tip from his worried wife, led to his arrest, according to court records.

Miranda and his wife, Rosa Rodriguez Hernandez, lived and worked at the motel. KPD Investigator Steve Still arrested Miranda and another man, 38-year-old Rogelio Melchor, on state forgery charges the day of Hampton's disappearance after Still said they showed him fake Social Security cards. Melchor hasn't been charged in the killing.

The wife turned over Miranda's bloody clothes the same day, Still wrote in an arrest warrant. DNA tests showed that blood came from Hampton, according to the warrant, and police said motel records show Miranda used his key card to open her door.

The warrant doesn't explain how Hampton's blood got on Miranda's clothes - whether from a struggle or other injuries - and police wouldn't discuss that aspect of the case Wednesday. Investigators said they're waiting for forensic test results to determine whether Hampton might have been raped.

"It obviously has not been ruled out yet," said KPD Deputy Chief Gary Price, commander of the Criminal Investigation Division. "I really can't say anymore about that."

Police said more charges and arrests could follow, depending on test results.

"It all depends on where the investigation leads," Price said.

The warrant doesn't list a motive for Hampton's killing. For her family, no explanation would be enough.

"Nobody can understand how any human being can commit such a horrendous act against such a beautiful, caring young lady," said Daniel, the family's lawyer.

Police could reveal more details when Miranda appears in court Oct. 10 for a preliminary hearing. Hampton's family says they'll be there.

"The family will attend any and all court hearings," Daniel said.

The motel's manager, Nick Patel, cooperated fully throughout the investigation, police said. Authorities said they don't expect any charges against him for hiring Miranda or Melchor.

"Not if the motel was working in good faith and if the documents looked normal," said Temple Black, regional spokesman for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

ICE put a hold on Miranda after his arrest, which would have kept him from going free, even with bail money. The agency won't get involved in his case or Melchor's until those cases wrap up at the state level, Black said.

Still, the lead KPD investigator and other officers have worked day and night on the case since the morning Hampton's co-workers reported her missing.

"To say hundreds of hours would not be unreasonable when you consider all the efforts and resources that went into the investigation," said Price, the deputy chief.

A friend last saw Hampton the night of Sept. 19 as she went into her motel room around 9:30 p.m. Her mother talked to her on the phone about two hours later.

She didn't show up for work the next day. Officers searched her room and found it in disarray, with her cell phone, which she always carried, left behind.

Police and rescuers spent the next week searching until a man fishing for bass on his day off spotted a body floating face down in the lake Saturday near the Solway Bridge, just across the Anderson County line. Authorities identified the body as Hampton's two days later.

Matt Lakin may be reached at 865-342-6306.