By Brett Milam
Editor
After nearly two years, Angelina Hamrick has been found guilty in the murder of her estranged husband Jason Hamrick.
In July 2019, Hamrick, 34, was arrested after her husband’s body was found in a ditch in the 2400 block of Swings Corner Point Isabel Road in Tate Township with a gunshot to the head.
Due to attorney issues and COVID-19, three different trial dates were continued through 2020 until the 15-day trial began on April 12.
On April 29, the guilty verdict on the one count of aggravated murder with a gun specification was handed down by the jury.
Mark Tekulve, county prosecutor, praised the work of assistant prosecutors Katie Terpstra and Robert Barbato in a press release announcing the guilty verdict, saying they spent countless hours over 18 months preparing for the trial.
Tekulve also said the Prosecutor’s Office is seeking the maximum sentence allowable under the law, which is life in prison.
According to court documents, Jason Hamrick and Angelina Hamrick began divorce proceedings Jan. 23, 2018. The divorce was initiated by Jason Hamrick. The divorce was still ongoing at the time of his death.
The couple had three children together, and according to reports, Angelina Hamrick lost custody of the children in February 2019.
According to Terpstra, at some point, Angelina Hamrick began plotting to kill Jason Hamrick in order to gain custody of her children. She made preparations for the killing by test firing a firearm owned by Jason Hamrick, buying cleaning supplies, and making preparations to dispose of the body.
After the killing, Terpstra said Angelina Hamrick cleaned the area where the murder occurred, destroyed or hid the Jason Hamrick’s phone and the murder weapon.
Angelina Hamrick’s co-conspirator and boyfriend in the murder, 35-year-old Michael Clark, was charged with a felony count of obstruction of justice, to which he pleaded guilty to earlier this year.
Terpstra said Clark helped to dispose of the body, and then lied to law enforcement about his knowledge of the killing.
Law enforcement enlisted Clark’s help to go undercover against Angelina Hamrick, but instead, Clark told her where the hidden cameras were, which were then destroyed.
“The defendant’s lies hindered law enforcement’s efforts to apprehend the co-defendant for the murder of the victim, and nearly jeopardized the entire investigation,” Terpstra said.
Sentencing is set for Clark on May 10 in front of Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Jerry McBride. The reason his sentencing continued to be delayed was that prosecutors were predicating sentencing recommendations based on his help with the Angelina Hamrick case.
Sentencing has been scheduled for May 28 at 1 p.m. before McBride.