Wife, airman held on $1M bond in Air Force recruiter's murder

BATAVIA, Ohio (WKRC) - An Air Force recruiter found shot to death in a ditch near his home was in the middle of a nasty divorce with his estranged wife in which they were fighting over custody and visitation of their children, court records reveal.

Angelina Hamrick, 32, is charged with aggravated murder in the death of her estranged husband, Jason Hamrick. He was found last Monday with a single gunshot wound to the head less than a mile from their Tate Township home. Michael Andrew Clark, who Angelina describes as her boyfriend, faces one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Court records state Angelina and Clark had discussed murdering Jason several times and that Angelina contacted Clark on June 28 telling him, “I did it.”

Angelina and Clark appeared in a Clermont County courtroom Monday morning. Magistrate Anita Bechmann set bail for both at $1 million. When asked whether she understood the charge she faces, Angelina responded, “not guilty.”

Reports from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office show deputies had been called to the Hamircks’ home more than 10 times since April 2018. The calls were for a number of domestic disputes. In one incident, Angelina called 911 to report her husband had hit her in the face. But the report from the incident shows Jason had videotaped their argument on his cell phone and the video showed Jason shoving Angelina. Angelina claimed her children would back up her account of being hit in the face, but the children told the deputy their father pushed their mother away.

Both Hamricks had called the sheriff’s office on a number of occasions.

Records from the Domestic Relations court in Clermont County show Jason filed for divorce in January 2018. At one point, the Hamricks reconciled, but it was short-lived. Records also show Angelina was found in contempt twice by the court for violating the conditions of visitation with her children.

A guardian ad litem for the court wrote about her concerns with Angelina and the couple’s three children, ages 10, 8 and 2. An affidavit claims the children told the GAL that Angelina was leaving the children home alone at night when she went to work. One of the children is quoted as saying he wanted a new mom because he believed “my mom is mean.” The middle child told the GAL that Angelina had stabbed his older brother with a pencil.

Attorney Sharon Schnelle wrote that she confronted Angelina after hearing her berate the children about what they had told her in their home. The discussion was supposed to be private.

Last week, Jason’s mother filed an emergency motion for temporary custody of the three children. She wrote that Angelina was a person of interest in her son’s murder and that she believed she was a flight risk because she had tried to arrange for the children to be taken to her native Russia through Mexico. Angelina is from Russia but it an American citizen.

A spokesperson for the United States Air Force said Monday that Jason was a recruiter assigned to the Cincinnati area since 2015. Hamrick enlisted in the Air Force in January 2004. Michael Clark enlisted in the Air Force in October 2005 and was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. He was currently assigned to an Equipment Maintenance Squadron. Hamrick had been assigned earlier in his career to Tactical Aircraft Maintenance. Both men were technical sergeants.

In court Monday, an attorney for Clark said he was married with two children.

Hamrick and Clark remain in the Clermont County Jail in lieu of $1-million bail. The cases against them will be presented to the grand jury next week. At that time, additional charges are expected to be filed.