GUILTY TN - Jennifer Hampton, 21, Knoxville, 19 Sept 2008

[miss u daddy]

Thanks - this is so sad! I don't understand why this guy had a master key? Was this hotel owned from out of state, and who the heck was watching over things there? It makes me scared to stay at a hotel in my own state now! :furious:

Sounds like he used this place as a base of "operations" for various crimes, since he was also selling Social Security cards. Geez!

Yes this is scary. I am 28 and travel for the government at least 4-5 times a year. I make sure I stay in a hotel room that is indoors and has the top safety stopper. Alot of employees have access to every room from maids to maintenance and thats scary. If the room has a seperate bedroom I'll lock that door before I go to bed as well. I will have to look into the door stopper alarm thing for sure!

 

[gaia227]

I cannot believe that all employees at Days Inn are given master keys. Especially a new employee. I had to work at my place of employment for over a year before they would give me keys to offices and such. Unbelievable.

How can Days Inn guarantee any of their guests safety? They can't. I really hope the national media picks this up. Don't the run back ground checks? They just hire any joe schmo and give him access to every guests room.

I have not read anywhere has anyone heard in Jennifer had been sexually assaulted? I doubt he just broke in to strangle her.

I think we should start emailing Nancy Grace, Greta, Oprah, etc and ask them to please warn the public about Days Inn policies.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I am disgusted on SO many levels with this case. WHY the "F" has it only been on WS's that I have seen it?? Honestly, this is every parents worst nightmare - their wonderful, productive, daughter = goes on a job assignment and FREAKING DISAPPEARS!!! AGHHHG!!! This girl was my daughter, minus two years. She was from a small community and manged to escape into what seemed like a successful career pathway. Days Inn OWES HER AND HER FAMILY BIG time!!! How the HELL (yes, I said HELL), can they allow illegal immigrants to have a FREAKING KEY TO THE ROOM OF EVERYONE???? I am beyond Disgusted, and I will NEVER, EVER, IN MY ENTIRE ESISTENCE ON THIS PLANET STAY AT A DAYS INN AGAIN!!! This case is wrong on SO many levels. KUDOS to Knoxville, LE for hitting it home this soon.

I couldn't agree with you more. I never dreamed that anyone but the manager would have the ability to open the doors of every room in a motel. I'll bet that Days Inn isn't the only motel branch that gives a master room key to everyone that works there. It is just insane.

If I were Jennifer's parents I would bring a lawsuit against Days Inn so big that their heads would swim for a year. This murder never should have happened and it wouldn't have if this place didn't go for cheap labor...if they had ran background checks and didn't hand out room keys to everyone in the place.
Isn't it against the law to hire illegals?

I'm glad that the 19 yr old monster's wife turned over his clothing to LE. I wonder where she thought all that blood came from when he came home?

In one statement LE said "Hampton left her cell phone behind!" No kidding!!!She was probably dead when she was taken from the room!!! One more thing....I hate when the papers call the victims by their last names instead of their first names. It sounds so cold and impersonal.

 

[monoxide]

I live pretty close to there too. Dang illegals. Wheres boarder patrol?

 

[dannyodie]

these guys are garbage, if I were the family I would sue the pants off days inn, I certainly will never stay at any of them from now on. what a traggic end to a beautiful life. such a shame!!!

 

[soyesterday]

I know....what a waste of life he is....this is so horribly sad....what a scary, awful thing to happen....
poor girl....
she didn't know that when she left her home that she would never be coming back....

 

[SeekingJana]

There is another rumor floating around that the 2 illegal immigrants are involved. Their names keep coming up so I bet they are somehow involved with this.

The Florence- Times online has said the 2 illegal immigrants were linked o another similar crime in the area and are strong suspects. I've been following this for personal reasons since she was late the first day and the paper reported on the story.

One employee at the hotel has been arrested. Jenn's blood was on his clothing.Not sure if this has been posted. Link here: http://shoalsinsider.com/default.as...name=&pform=&sc=2687&hn=shoalsinsider&he=.com

She was beautiful. God bless her family. May justice be served swiftly.

 

[William N]

Yesterday, the suspect got a plea deal (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/18/man-admits-slaying-at-hotel/). Knox News reporter, Jamie Satterfield, called it a "sweetheart deal" for the killer on twitter. He doesn't even get life in prison.

David From TN

 

[PrairieWind]

Yesterday, the suspect got a plea deal (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/18/man-admits-slaying-at-hotel/). Knox News reporter, Jamie Satterfield, called it a "sweetheart deal" for the killer on twitter. He doesn't even get life in prison.

David From TN

I know this is a very old thread but I wondered if anyone had heard anything here. My understanding was that Miranda never did reveal the other participants and is was filing a flury of motions to have the confession thrown out. Anyone in the Knoxville area have any news?

 

[wendybtn]

As far as I have read or heard, the killer pleaded guilty and received life w/possibility of parole after serving 51 years. The other illegal immigrant/employee/cousin of the murderer appears to me not to be involved, and no evidence or testimony indicates otherwise.
The lawyer representing Jennifer's family in a suit against Wyndham Worldwide (owner of Days Inn) left his law firm in 2010 along with $600,000 of the firm's money. Jennifer's family and Wyndham reached an undisclosed settlement in 2009.
Hope that answers your questions!

 

[Janedoe66]

Thanks for the update. The information on doorstop alarms in this thread was helpful, too.