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Title: Police: Suspect used master key to enter Jennifer Lee Hampton's room - Worried wife turned over bloody clothes to police
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URL Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/o ... -charged-alabama-womans-death/
Published: Oct 1, 2008
Author: Matt Lakin and Don Jacobs
Post Date: 2008-10-01 19:30:36 by nikki
Keywords: None
Views: 41
A single swipe of the card opened any door at the West Knoxville motel. Police say Valentino Vasquez Miranda used that card the morning of Sept. 20 to get inside Jennifer Lee Hampton's room and strangle the former Alabama homecoming queen. The card, together with Miranda's bloody clothes and a tip from his worried wife, led to his arrest, according to a warrant. Miranda, 19, faces a charge of first-degree murder in Hampton's 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 a fisherman found her nude body floating in Melton Hill Lake, fewer than 10 miles from the motel. 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. Motel records show Miranda used his master key card to unlock the door to Hampton's motel room, 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. Photo Gallery Family photos of Jennifer Hampton "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. Staff writer Don Jacobs contributed to this story.
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