Union Township resident Phillip Hamm appeared in front of Magistrate Robert Lamb Feb. 17 where is bond was set at $500,000. Hamm was charged with murdering his roommate Feb. 15.

Union Township resident Phillip Hamm appeared in front of Magistrate Robert Lamb Feb. 17 where is bond was set at $500,000. Hamm was charged with murdering his roommate Feb. 15.
By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

A Union Township man admitted to choking and killing his roommate, Meagan Fambry, 20, Feb. 15 in a 911 call.

Phillip Hamm, 21, of Union Township was arrested and charged with murder after Union Township police responded to the scene.

According to Lieutenant Scott Gaviglia, operations commander of the Union Township Police Department, police were dispatched to 3885 Old Savannah Dr., Apartment 12 at approximately 10:45 a.m on Saturday.

In the 911 call, which was released by Gaviglia Feb. 18, Hamm requests police response and tells a dispatcher what happened.

“Yes, I am going to need police to 3885 Old Savannah Drive Apartment 12,” Hamm said in the call.

When the dispatcher asked the reason for calling Hamm said he went off on his roommate and choked her.

“Last night, well basically this morning, my roommate and I got into an argument,” Hamm said. “And I honestly lost my mind and I went off, and I choked her and I killed her.”

Hamm told dispatchers that the incident happened several hour earlier after he and Fambry returned home from a party in Covington, Ky.

“We came in last night and we were together and everything,” Hamm said. “We just came from a party. And we came in and everything was fine.”

Hamm told the dispatcher the party had been at a friend’s house in Covington where he said he had been drinking when he and Fambry got into an argument.

“What had happened last night is at the party we had gotten into a little bit of an argument,” Hamm said. “And I know at that point I had been drinking a little bit and I kind of blacked out and I ended up grabbing her.”

Hamm said when he realized what he had done, he stayed away from Fambry at the party for a little while.

“We talked everything out, and we talked everything out with a bunch of other people,” Hamm said. “And we all came home and relaxed. We all settled down and everything.”

Hamm said he and Fambry decided to leave and come home.

Hamm said when they arrived to the apartment everything was fine, but then he and Fambry started arguing again.

“We started arguing again, and I just honestly I really just don’t know what happened to myself,” Hamm said. “Like I attacked her. I like choked her. I threw her down and was choking her.”

Hamm said the incident happened at about 7:30 or 8 a.m.

Hamm said he would have called sooner but he didn’t know what was going on in his mind.

“I honestly just didn’t know what was going on in my mind,” Hamm said. “And it’s not who I am.”

Soon after talking about the details of the night with the dispatcher, a knock is heard on the door of Hamm’s apartment during the 911 call, and Hamm told the dispatcher that police had arrived.

Police can be heard asking Hamm questions and the dispatcher told Hamm she was going to disconnect now that police have arrived.

Gaviglia said the dispatcher did an excellent job keeping the suspect on the line and talked with the suspect in a calm and measured tone while emergency units were on their way.

He said the snow covered roads on Saturday slowed emergency response to the location.

Police arrested Hamm and transported him to Clermont County Jail.

Gaviglia said Hamm was charged with murder, a first-degree felony. He said additional charges may be filed once the case is presented to a Clermont County Grand Jury.

Hamm appeared in front of Magistrate Robert Lamb at Clermont County Municipal Court Feb. 17.

Lamb said despite the fact that Hamm does not have a previous record, he feels there is a significant risk of flight or danger to the public if Hamm does not remain in jail.

Lamb set Hamm’s bail at $500,000.

Hamm remains in Clermont County Jail and is scheduled to appear at Clermont County Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing in front of Judge George Pattison at 3 p.m. Feb. 24.