Fredrick Hampton, charged with abuse of corpse following the disappearance of Paighton Houston, appeared in court Tuesday, March 10, 2020. He was granted bond and electronic monitoring.
Paighton Houston update: Man charged with abuse of corpse granted bond
The man charged with abuse of corpse following the
disappearance and death Paighton Houston was granted bond by a Bessemer Cutoff judge Tuesday, over the objections of prosecutors, investigators and Houston’s parents.
Fredrick Hampton, 50, appeared before Jefferson County District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. for what was set to be a preliminary hearing the Class C felony case against him. His attorney, however, waived that hearing but asked that bond be set for his client.
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Hampton has been held without bond since his Jan. 29 capture by U.S. Marshals in Ohio. He was later extradited to Jefferson County.
“We think that no bond is unreasonable,’’ Hampton’s attorney, Emory Anthony, told the judge.
Houston’s mother, Charlaine Houston, emotionally disagreed that he should be released. “Our daughter is already gone, and we’ve lost her,’’ she told the judge. “I would hate to see it happen to anyone else.”
The standard bond schedule for a Class C felony ranges between $2,500 and $15,000.
The judge explained to the Houston family that the law required him to set bond in this case. He set the bond at the maximum and ordered Hampton to wear an electronic monitoring device. Hampton must remain at his home at all times with no curfew whatsoever.
Hampton is currently still in custody.
