GUILTY NC - Valerie Hamilton, 23, Charlotte, 15 September 2010

[Kimberlyd125]

She is a beautiful girl.

On her myspace, she lists her occupation as preschool teacher.

 

[MBLover]

I hope LE is showing the vids/pics to the other employees at Hooter's...I bet this is a regular customer there...with the white in his hair...I'd almost bet he's older than mid 30's.

I hope they find her safe and sound soon!

 

[jcamille]

I live in Charlotte and my hairdresser is just around the corner from Thomas Street Tavern. Two years ago, when former President Bill Clinton was in Charlotte to speak, he and his entourage stopped and ate lunch at Thomas Street Tavern, because it was close to the VFW hall where he was speaking. So Thomas Street Tavern is a bar/restaurant open during the day and at night.

The neighborhood of Plaza Midwood where Thomas Street Tavern is located is a transitional area that became trendy in the last 5-10 years because it is within about 1-2 miles of uptown Charlotte. It is bordered on the west by two higher income neighborhoods - Elizabeth and Myers Park, but on the north, east and south by much higher crime areas around First Ward, Central Avenue, Monroe Road and Independence Blvd.

My hairdresser's previous salon was literally across the street from Thomas Street Tavern and I often parked on the street in front of the place. The bars and restaurants in that area are very much "neighborhood" bars/restaurants.

The young woman lives in an area of Charlotte called The Arboretum. From the Arboreturm to Plaza-Midwood, it would take about 20-30 minutes to get there. That's about how long it takes me to go to my hairdresser's salon.

The most likely route for someone familiar with the area is to take Providence Road to Caswell Avenue to Pecan Avenue and if you know the block, you can come in from the back, but if you don't know the area that well, you would turn on Central and then turn onto Thomas Street. The parking around that area is tricky. There's a restaurant across the street, The Penguin, that is very popular as well as some other shops and resaturants.

My hair appts. were always after work and I never felt safe walking in that area to and from my car even in the early evening -around 6 p.m. In fact, my hairdresser made it a point to walk out of his salon with me to watch me walk to my car.

I would NEVER go to that area alone at night, but she was reportedly with friends. And she probably didn't know as much about the area as I do since I have been going to that area for eight years to get my hair done.

However, she had to have driven to the area by herself because her car was found in the parking lot and she was not reported missing until the next day when she didn't show up for work. If there were friends with her, they must have met her there.

Recently, a 25 year old woman was carjacked from a grocery store parking lot on Central Avenue only about a block from this location. Her carjacker, has not been caught, but he does not match the description of the man that Valerie was last seen with. The woman's car has not been found though.

The Arboretum area where Valerie Hamilton lives in Southeast Charlotte is only about four miles from where I live. It is a high income area with very, very low crime.

I'm not sure why she and her friends would go ALL THE WAY over to Thomas Street Tavern to go out. Most people her age go to uptown Charlotte to go out. Going uptown is actually farther than going over to Thomas Street Tavern, but it is a more logical fit for where young people her age would go out.

There is still another unsolved missing person's case in Charlotte - Kyle Fleischman. He disappeared a few years ago after leaving a bar in uptown Charlotte that is probably less than two miles from Thomas Street Tavern.

So, that's all the background information I can think of that may be relevant.

 

[jcamille]

She worked at a Hooters, apparently, so maybe a regular customer?

I wonder which Hooter's she worked at - there is one on South Blvd which is at least a 20-30 minute drive west of Thomas Street Tavern and also about that same distance northwest from where she lived. The one on Independence Blvd. closed (which would have been the closest one for her)and I think there is one in Northeast Charlotte near UNC-Charlotte, but that's even farther from where she lives - at least 45 minutes or more.

I think the tie to the area where Thomas Street Tavern is located is CPCC - the community college main campus is located less than a half mile from the Plaza Midwood area.

I just heard on TV that she was going to school at CPCC. It is a commuter school where people take day or night classes while working full-time, so its students range from 18-60. I could easily see her and people she may have met in her classes going to Thomas Street Tavern or The Penguin to eat or drink because of the proximity.

However, CPCC has multiple campuses throughout Charlotte and I'm not certain that she was going to the main campus, but it makes sense, as a reason for why she would be in the Plaza Midwood area. I wonder if she met this man in one of her classes at CPCC.

Plaza Midwood has a really mixed population - There are "yuppies" who work at banks uptown who bought houses cheaply and renovated them. It also has a large gay population and is an area for people with alternative lifestyles. There are tattoo/piercing businesses, funky stores, vintage shops, consignment shops, a dairy queen, a grocery store, a bank, several hair salons and a few restaurants and bars within walking distance.

However as you go south down Central Avenue (southeast), the area transitions into a much higher crime area/lower income area quickly - within blocks.

 

[Lori59]

I started a thread about this in the missing forum....sorry if it was the wrong thread. Perhaps they can be combined. I also live in the area and have actually been to Thomas Street Tavern many times as when my son was a grad student I would meet him for lunch there since he lived nearby. I agree with the previous post that although this area is next to some nice areas....it also sits very close to some high crime areas as it is very urban and close to uptown. However, my son and his friends were locals and loved this place. It is a very trendy area that a lot of young people gather. I also agree that Valerie lived in a low crime area. I think it is telling that the police have spent so much time at her apartment 20 or so minutes from the Tavern. Perhaps, the man gave her a ride home since her car was found at the Tavern whether willingly or not. But, the fact that they have focused on her apartment is telling in some way to me.

 

[Lori59]

I wonder which Hooter's she worked at - there is one on South Blvd which is at least a 20-30 minute drive west of Thomas Street Tavern and also about that same distance northwest from where she lived. The one on Independence Blvd. closed (which would have been the closest one for her)and I think there is one in Northeast Charlotte near UNC-Charlotte, but that's even farther from where she lives - at least 45 minutes or more.

I think the tie to the area where Thomas Street Tavern is located is CPCC - the community college main campus is located less than a half mile from the Plaza Midwood area.

I just heard on TV that she was going to school at CPCC. It is a commuter school where people take day or night classes while working full-time, so its students range from 18-60. I could easily see her and people she may have met in her classes going to Thomas Street Tavern or The Penguin to eat or drink because of the proximity.

However, CPCC has multiple campuses throughout Charlotte and I'm not certain that she was going to the main campus, but it makes sense, as a reason for why she would be in the Plaza Midwood area. I wonder if she met this man in one of her classes at CPCC.

Plaza Midwood has a really mixed population - There are "yuppies" who work at banks uptown who bought houses cheaply and renovated them. It also has a large gay population and is an area for people with alternative lifestyles. There are tattoo/piercing businesses, funky stores, vintage shops, consignment shops, a dairy queen, a grocery store, a bank, several hair salons and a few restaurants and bars within walking distance.

However as you go south down Central Avenue (southeast), the area transitions into a much higher crime area/lower income area quickly - within blocks.

Your description of this area is spot on....they also have some high end furniture and clothing stores within the vintage shops.

 

[jcamille]

It's weird tha they found her purse in her car. To order drinks at Thomas Street, she would have to show ID being so young and I couldn't imagine leaving my purse in my car in a "transitional" area.

I wonder if he "walked her to her car since it was so late" and then kidnapped her. It could be someone who was stalking her.

 

[Lori59]

Also, they have released a description of a man she was seen with. Her father is chief of police in Concord which is just outside of Charlotte and he has said he is happy with the way the investigation is going.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/17/1699005/police-chiefs-daughter-missing.html

 

[Lori59]

It's weird tha they found her purse in her car. To order drinks at Thomas Street, she would have to show ID being so young and I couldn't imagine leaving my purse in my car in a "transitional" area.

I wonder if he "walked her to her car since it was so late" and then kidnapped her. It could be someone who was stalking her.

I agree with you. With the Kyle case..he left his coat behind too. A girl from the bar had said that she did not know the guy. From how my son talked about the place ..there were a lot of regulars. Her friends were interviewed tonight on the news ...didn't talk of the night so as to not compromise the investigation though.

 

[redwine81]

I am very concerned for this young woman. My prayers go out to her family and I hope there is a good ending here. Finding her purse and her car left behind is very concerning.

 

[trigger]

LE believes she went her to apt after leaving the restaurant? I wonder why they have K9 dogs in the restaurant area then? Unless she went back there?

I bet she knows him and felt comfortable with him but her pocketbook being left in the car has me puzzled. Unless he brought her back to her car in the early morning hours.

Hope they find her.

 

[Kat]

Sounds like a guy she has on her myspace page. He commented once that I saw, but it looks like she hasn't used that page since late last year. Just a long shot.

White. That's an unusual way to describe gray hair, don't you think? Just curious to me is all.

Her purse and her ID were found in her car.

Her purse I can understand, but not the ID.

Did she walk out to her car, he asked her to take a ride with him someplace? She just threw what was in her pockets into her purse in the car OR she had her purse and ID (more than likely) and just tossed the purse in her car. Just maybe's that came to my head.

Wonder where in her car the purse and ID were found? Just curious.

Come home soon sweetie.

(ETA: Just a gentle reminder---no links to his page if you want to discuss and don't use his full name )

 

[AliceInPain]

(Rumour) I was searching for updates on Valerie and found a post by a friend, who said Valerie's last phone call was at three in the morning from a hot tub in downtown Charlotte.

I hope she is found soon but it doesn't look good : (

Btw, where does it say she works at Hooters? :waitasec: That could explain the mysterious man, but I can't find it mentioned anywhere. Thanks

:angel:

 

[summer_breeze]

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/8200

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

Posted: 11:14 pm EDT September 17, 2010
Updated: 6:01 am EDT September 18, 2010

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Authorities continued to search for a police chief's missing daughter on Saturday.

A Charlotte woman who partied with Valerie Hamilton, the daughter of the Concord Police Chief,the night she vanished, said Friday evening she's hoping her missing friend will call her and solve the mystery.

 

[curiouserthangeorge]

is it me or is there something a little off?
They have an officer posted at her apartment 24/7. There's "no sign of foul play" at the apartment... but she went missing from the bar... her car was found at the bar.
Does it sound do anyone else like they have evidence that she and the mystery man went back to her apt?

 

[Lato]

Has local PD provided a sketch of the mystery man?

 

[Bratislava]

Valerie Hamilton, a Concord High graduate, is attending Central Piedmont Community College in hopes of becoming a teacher, and she works at a Charlotte restaurant. Friends and her employers say they have not heard from her since she disappeared.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/20...ce-chiefs-daughter-missing.html#ixzz0ztCirSAy

Just a point of clarification- she was in school to become a preschool teacher but currently working at a restaurant in town (Hooters, I'm guessing).

 

[Bratislava]

She is wearing the Hooters uniform in her MySpace photos and posing with co-workers in their respective uniforms.

 

[LLLindsayy]

Alice - I don't know how credible the info on the "ping from the hot tub" is, because I think that pings can't be tracked that specifically. More so they can be tracked within a range of areas. That's why people usually have to search after they find a ping. I could be wrong on this. Correct me if I am!

Bratislava - Valerie's about me section on her Myspace says she works at a different restaurant called Stool Pigeons. Maybe she either a) used to work at Hooters or b) bought the uniform (because I think you can just buy it).