The Murder of Jason Hamrick
For this case, I watched an episode of Snapped. It’s season 31 episode 4.
A 42-year-old Air Force recruiter and father disappears from his home.
Background
Jason Hamrick was born in March 1977. Jason’s mom, Amy, said he wasn’t into sports, but liked learning about cars. After high school graduation, Jason joined the Air Force, where he worked as mechanic on airplanes.
Jason loved that the military allowed him to travel. While he was in South Korea, he met a woman named Angelina, who was from Russia. Angelina worked as a cocktail waitress at one of her father’s nightclubs when they met. They fell in love quickly, and after Jason returned to the United States, he asked Angelina to move to be with him.
Angelina and Jason married in 2009, had 3 kids together, and settled in the small town of Bethel, Ohio.
Jason Hamrick
A Broken Marriage
In 2015, Jason was working as a recruiter in Cincinnati. It was a hard adjustment for Angelina to be in a small town, and not have much family around. Jason wanted to save the marriage, and decided to retire from the military.
By January 2018, Jason and Angelina had one last trip planned to save their marriage. They went on a cruise with one of Jason’s co-workers, Michael Drew Clark, and his wife. But, after the cruise, they knew their marriage was over.
In March 2018, Jason filed for divorce. The former couple decided that they would live under the same roof for their sons.
On June 30, 2019, Jason was supposed to drive to Indiana, where his parents lived. Jason and his children were planning to attend a family birthday party. Jason wasn’t responding to phone calls, and his sons contacted Jason’s mom and stepfather. They said Jason’s car was at the house, but Jason wasn’t. Amy and John contacted the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, and drove the 4 hours to Bethel, Ohio.
The Discovery
The police arrived at the Hamrick house to do a welfare check. Angelina was surprised, and didn’t know that Amy and John had reported Jason missing.
Angelina told the police that she had last seen Jason on Friday, June 28. She said they had a bonfire outside, and then she took the kids to get pizza. Angelina said it wasn’t unusual for her and Jason not to speak for a few days. They lived together, but came and went as they pleased.
The police looked around the house. They didn’t find any sign of a struggle or foul play. But, they did find an empty gun box, where Jason kept his .9mm handgun.
At 7:48pm on June 30, Jason’s neighbor called 911. He said that he and his wife had returned home, and saw a body in a ditch at the end of their driveway. The neighbors lived about a half mile down the road from Jason and Angelina.
Jason’s body was found in the ditch. He was lying face up, and covered with cut grass clippings. He had a wound to his head, but there was no murder weapon found at the scene. Jason’s clothing was also shredded as if he had been dragged. The police believed Jason had been killed somewhere else, so they needed to find the secondary crime scene.
A Possible Motive
After Jason’s body was found, the police went back to the Hamrick home. Angelina agreed to go to the station for an interview.
Angelina was notified about Jason’s body being found. Angelina asked if the scene was bloody, and asked what had happened. Angelina said she didn’t want to identify Jason’s body because she would pass out if she saw blood. Jason’s body was positively identified through his dental records.
Angelina told the police that she, Jason, and the kids had a bonfire on June 28. Angelina said Jason went inside around 9pm, and fell asleep on the couch. She took the kids out for pizza, and when she returned, she thought Jason was asleep in bedroom because the door was closed.
The police asked Angelina if she had been seeing anyone else besides Jason. Angelina said yes, she had started an affair with Michael Drew Clark in October 2017. Angelina said she loved him, and that he was also going through a divorce.
Angelina was allowed to leave the police station, and the police focused on finding Michael.
The Eyewitnesses
The day after Jason’s body was found, the police traveled to Indiana to interview his parents and kids.
Amy told the police that Jason had been suspicious that Angelina was having an affair. She said Angelina had planned the cruise in 2018 to be around Michael. While they were on the cruise, Jason called his mom, and said he wanted to come home. He then filed for divorce in March.
In the beginning of their separation, they lived in the house together. But, Angelina went to the courts, and said Jason was being disruptive. Jason was told to leave, and to pay Angelina $1,700 a month for child support.
In February 2019, Jason learned from his kids that Angelina would Uber at night, and leave them home alone for hours. Jason received custody, and was allowed to come back to the marital house. Angelina was living in her car for a bit, but Jason allowed her to stay in the house in the spare bedroom.
The police spoke to Jason and Angelina’s oldest kids, who were 10 and 7 at the time. They said while they were at the bonfire, they heard a loud bang while their parents were inside. The 7-year-old became thirsty, and walked to the house to get water. While he was at the back door, he saw his dad lying on the couch covered with a blanket. He said his mom wouldn’t let him inside, and they left to get pizza. They didn’t see their dad again after that.
The Evidence
A search warrant was obtained for the Hamrick house. While the police were searching the back deck, they found a pool tarp. They spread the tarp out, and discovered that a piece of the tarp had been cut. The missing piece was never found.
The police also searched the half mile road from the Hamrick’s leading to the neighbors house. In the grass, they found material from blue jeans.
The police contacted a forensics team from Cincinnati to come to the Hamrick house. The forensics team used BlueStar, and it “lit up like a Christmas tree.” It was apparent that Jason had been killed inside the home, and dragged to the area where his body was found.
The Plan
One of Jason and Angelina’s friends named Pat Hornack came forward. Pat owned a winery, and said Angelina had been at the tasting bar on June 28. Pat told Angelina that she looked sad, and Angelina told her that she needed to either take her kids to Russia or kill Jason. Pat said Angelina left around 8pm.
On July 1, the police were able to get into contact with Michael. Michael admitted that he and Angelina had spoken about wanting Jason dead. He said that Angelina talked about either shooting, stabbing, or poisoning Jason.
Michael said he wasn’t in Ohio during the time of the murder because he had moved to Texas. He said he was in Ohio about 2 weeks before the murder. The police were able to use Michael’s phone records to confirm his alibi.
Michael did agree to record his phone conversations with Angelina. On the calls, Angelina was asked by Michael if she was going to the take the kids away. Angelina said they were her kids, and she could do whatever she wanted. She also talked about Jason, and said that the courts should give her custody because the other parent was gone.
The Sting Operation
The police asked Michael to help with a sting operation because Angelina had told Michael that she wanted to see him.
On July 4, the police flew Michael to Ohio, and got him a hotel room. However, it was clear that Angelina had been tipped off about the operation. As soon as she arrived at the hotel, she searched Michael’s body.
Michael was taken to the police station to take a polygraph test. Angelina also smashed two cameras. She showed up at the police station while Michael was doing his polygraph test. Angelina asked why they were focusing on her, and said she didn’t kill Jason. The police told her that everything was pointing to her. Angelina walked out of the police station.
During Michael’s polygraph test, he was asked if he knew who killed Jason. He answered no, but the polygraph said he was lying. Michael then admitted that Angelina had called him on June 28, and admitted to killing Jason. Angelina said she had found his key to the gun box, and shot him, and it left a mess. Michael told Angelina to get rid of the body.
Michael was taken into custody, and charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Angelina was arrested on July 6, 2019, and charged with aggravated murder.
The Convictions
The police also found evidence that Angelina had been planning to kill Jason since June 17. She had made several searches on Google about poison. On June 28, she had searched how to illegally move children to Russia. Jason and Angelina also had a divorce hearing scheduled for a few days after the murder.
It’s believed that Angelina went to the winery on June 28, and left at 8pm. She had a bonfire with Jason and the kids. When they were inside, she shot Jason as he slept on the couch. She then wrapped his body in the pool tarp, and dragged his body down the road. She covered his body with grass to try to conceal it, and spent hours cleaning up the crime scene as their children slept.
Michael Drew Clark was eventually found guilty of obstructing justice. He agreed to testify against Angelina, and was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
Angelina’s trial was delayed several times due to Covid-19. In April 2021, Angelina was found guilty of first degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2052.
Angelina Hamrick and Michael Drew Clark
Other
Jason’s parents are raising the 3 boys.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Angelina claimed she was trying to protect and be with her children. But, she shot a sleeping man while his children were just in the backyard. She then wrapped his body, and dragged him down the road. At any point in the night, the boys could’ve woken up and saw their mom cleaning up the house. The 7-year-old did see his dad on the couch, but believed he was sleeping. Now, the boys don’t have either of their parents. But, Amy and John are amazing for taking in their grandchildren, and giving them an amazing life.
Sources
https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/angelina-hamrick-kills-husband-jason-why
https://www.clermontsun.com/2021/05/06/hamrick-found-guilty-in-murder-of-estranged-husband
https://kvnutalk.com/us-airman-charged-for-allegedly-helping-ohio-woman-kill-husband/
https://people.com/crime/us-airman-arrested-helping-girlfriend-kill-husband/
