Angelina Hamrick

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode Summary: Angelina Hamrick

Release Date: December 1, 2024
Host/Author: Oxygen

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder, Oxygen delves into the tragic story of Angelina Hamrick, whose actions led to the untimely death of her estranged husband, Jason Hamrick. Through a meticulous examination of interviews, law enforcement insights, and psychological perspectives, the episode unravels the complex web of love, betrayal, and desperation that culminated in murder.

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Background of Key Individuals

Jason Hamrick
Born on March 10, 1977, in northern Indiana, Jason Hamrick led what many would consider an exemplary American life. A mechanical engineering enthusiast from a young age, Jason pursued a career in the United States Air Force after graduating high school in 1996. His service as a mechanic stationed worldwide allowed him to explore various cultures, including a significant stint in South Korea.

Angelina Vladimirovna
Angelina Hamrick, originally Angelina Vladimirovna, was born in Russia in 1986 in the coastal city of Vladivostok. Her father’s entrepreneurial spirit led the family to Seoul, South Korea, where Angelina worked as a cocktail waitress in her father's nightclub. Tall, fashionable, and reserved, Angelina's life took a pivotal turn when she met Jason during his deployment in Korea.

Transcript Reference:
[05:57] Family Member: "On the 10th of March 1977, Jason was born... he enjoyed cars and learned all about them."

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The Relationship and Marriage

The whirlwind romance between Jason and Angelina blossomed amidst the vibrant backdrop of South Korea. Their instant chemistry was undeniable, leading Jason to invite Angelina to the United States after his overseas tour concluded. Their bond deepened as Angelina moved to North Carolina, and in March 2009, they married shortly after Angelina gave birth to their first child in Russia.

Notable Quote:
[07:50] Family Member: "Jason was infatuated with her. She was pretty and funny and loved to travel."

As a military family, the Hamricks relocated multiple times across the U.S., eventually settling in Bethel, Ohio, in 2015. They built a dream home on five acres next to a winery, complete with an in-ground pool, aimed at providing a stable and loving environment for their three young sons.

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Issues Leading to the Crime

Despite the outward appearance of a perfect family, underlying issues plagued the Hamrick marriage. Angelina struggled with isolation in the small Ohio town, feeling disconnected without a robust support system. Her sense of loneliness, combined with Jason’s frequent military assignments, sowed seeds of discontent.

Psychological Insight:
[10:14] Psychologist: "Angelina felt lonely... her kids were her main goal."

As Jason contemplated retiring from the Air Force to pursue a tool truck business, the marital strain intensified. In January 2018, seeking to rekindle their relationship, Angelina convinced Jason to embark on a cruise with another couple, the Claremonts, another Air Force family. However, this trip proved to be a turning point, as the marriage continued to deteriorate, leading Jason to file for divorce in March 2018.

Notable Quote:
[10:34] Narrator: "She did everything possible to be with her kids... causing a rift in the marriage."

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The Affair and Rising Tensions

Amidst the backdrop of a failing marriage, Angelina initiated an affair with Michael Drew Clark, a 32-year-old Air Force recruiter and Jason’s colleague. Their illicit relationship began in October 2017 and continued clandestinely, even after Michael was re-stationed in Texas.

Notable Quote:
[21:08] Psychologist: "Inn their affair, Angelina discussed various methods to harm Jason, including shooting and poisoning him."

The affair introduced a new layer of complexity and tension into the already strained household. As the divorce proceedings progressed, financial strains mounted. Jason was ordered to pay $1,700 monthly in child support, depleting the family's savings and exacerbating his emotional turmoil.

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The Disappearance and Murder

On June 30, 2019, Jason Hamrick vanished under mysterious circumstances. His mother, Amy Oliver, became increasingly concerned when she couldn't reach Jason as planned for a family birthday party. Subsequently, a welfare check was initiated, leading deputies to the Hamrick residence in Bethel, Ohio.

Notable Quote:
[05:09] Narrator: "Sensing something was wrong, Amy and John Oliver drove four hours to Jason's house."

Upon arrival, deputies found Angelina cooperating initially, allowing a search of the property. However, inconsistencies in her statements and the discovery of an empty handgun box raised suspicions. The investigation revealed that Jason might have been suicidal, but further evidence soon pointed towards foul play.

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Investigation and Evidence

As the investigation unfolded, several critical pieces of evidence emerged:

1. The Missing Handgun: A 9mm semi-automatic handgun was unaccounted for after being reported missing from the Hamrick home. Dental records later confirmed that the body found belonged to Jason.

2. Body Discovery: On June 30, 2019, around 7:48 PM, neighbors reported finding a lifeless body covered with grass clippings in a ditch near the Hamrick property. Upon further examination, authorities suspected a gunshot wound to the head, consistent with a homicide rather than suicide.

3. Behavioral Red Flags: Angelina exhibited unusual behavior during the investigation. When confronted with the body, she refused to identify it, claiming squeamishness and later admitting to having an affair, introducing potential motives for others to commit the murder.

Notable Quote:
[14:09] Narrator: "But a blunt admission sets the investigation on a new course."

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The Sting Operation

In pursuit of the truth, law enforcement orchestrated a sting operation targeting Angelina and her lover, Michael Drew Clark. The plan involved recording conversations to uncover the extent of their involvement in Jason's murder.

Procedure:
Law enforcement arranged for Michael to travel to Ohio under the guise of meeting Angelina. The motel room was rigged with surveillance equipment to capture any incriminating conversations.

Outcome:
The operation initially faltered when Angelina destroyed recording devices, suspecting they were bugs. However, Michael's subsequent polygraph test, during which he confessed that Angelina had revealed she killed Jason, proved pivotal. Michael admitted, "[...] Angelina told me, 'I did it,'" thereby solidifying her culpability.

Notable Quote:
[39:11] Law Enforcement Officer: "He then admitted that he received a phone call from Angelina saying, 'I did it.'"

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Conclusion and Aftermath

Angelina Hamrick was arrested on July 6, 2019, and charged with first-degree murder. In contrast, Michael Drew Clark faced charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder but was ultimately indicted only for obstructing justice due to his deceit during investigations. In exchange for his testimony, Michael received a six-month jail sentence.

The trial concluded swiftly on April 29, 2021, with a jury convicting Angelina Hamrick in less than two hours. She received a sentence of 30 years to life, ensuring she would remain incarcerated until at least 2052. The Hamrick family, devastated by the loss, continues to grapple with the emotional fallout, particularly the three young sons who have lost their father and mother’s custody battles.

Notable Quote:
[45:46] Narrator: "And the kids are the ones that are going to be suffering for it."

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Key Takeaways and Reflections

This heart-wrenching case underscores the profound impact of isolation, emotional distress, and betrayal within familial relationships. Angelina Hamrick's desperate actions, fueled by a failing marriage and an illicit affair, tragically ended in the loss of life and left a family shattered. The meticulous investigation by law enforcement highlights the complexities involved in piecing together motives and evidence to seek justice.

Psychological Insight:
[42:06] Psychologist: "She either had to take the kids and flee without him knowing or kill him."

The case serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive potential of unresolved conflicts and the dire consequences of allowing personal turmoil to spiral out of control.

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Conclusion

The Snapped: Women Who Murder episode on Angelina Hamrick offers a comprehensive exploration of a domestic tragedy marked by love gone awry, deceit, and ultimately, murder. Through in-depth interviews and a detailed recounting of events, Oxygen presents a sobering narrative that both captivates and educates listeners on the darker facets of human relationships and the pursuit of justice.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Narrator]

She was a Russian bombshell and he was an American hero. Their whirlwind romance overseas would reunite them in the usa.

[Psychologist]

He was very, very n, very respectful, very gentleman, and she fell in love with him.

[Family Member]

He was in love and she was pregnant. He was excited about becoming a father. They bought this big house on five acres next to a winery.

[Narrator]

But the life they worked so hard to build would end tragically.

[911 Operator]

911, where is your emergency? There's a dead body laying at the end of our driveway. The body looked like it had been dragged. The clothing was torn, it was shredded.

[Family Member]

We got there and there was police all over.

[Narrator]

As the mystery unfolds, secrets are exposed.

[Psychologist]

There's now this love triangle that they have to investigate. Don't bring your boyfriend and your husband on the cruise at the same time.

[Narrator]

The case would culminate with a sting operation worthy of an international spy drama.

[Psychologist]

Like over $1,000 worth of recording equipment that she destroyed. Basically, the world is narrowing for her.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

From what they're telling me to get.

[Psychologist]

Out, there's blood Please don't show me blood.

[Family Member]

Please don't. I'm gonna pass out. He could not go up against somebody like that because he has a conscience and she doesn't.

[911 Operator]

There is no other suspect. Everything points.

[Narrator]

On Sunday, June 30, 2019, in the rural town of Butler, Indiana, John and Amy Oliver are preparing to attend a family birthday party. Amy's son Jason Hamrick and his three young boys, who reside four hours away in Ohio, were also supposed to travel to Indiana to attend the family gathering.

[Family Member]

One of my great nieces was having a birthday party and it was going to be at my mother's and he was going to bring the boys down on Sunday. We were just getting ready to leave the house. I did call him on Friday and I didn't get an answer and I didn't really worry about it because sometimes when he was working or something like that, you know, he just didn't have time. Jason's voice contacted me and wanted to know if I had seen their dad. And I said, well you guys are supposed to be on your way up here. And they said, well I seen him on Friday and his cars are here, but he's not Amy.

[Psychologist]

She ends up texting Jason. She says, I'm going to call the police in five minutes if you don't respond. Of course he doesn't respond.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

And we just looked at each other and we knew right away there was a problem.

[Family Member]

John said, do you want me to call the sheriff? And I said yes.

[Narrator]

Sensing something is wrong, Amy and John Oliver asked the sheriff in Bethel, Ohio to make a Welfare check on 42 year old Jason Hamrick.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

These family events were pretty important for Jason, especially a get together with a birthday party. His children would be able to play with a bunch of kids there, you know, and he wouldn't miss anything like that.

[911 Operator]

And if he did, you would know immediately.

[Psychologist]

Alarm bells went off for them. They picked up what they were doing, hopped in the car and took a four hour drive to get out to Jason's house because they knew something was wrong.

[Narrator]

Born and raised in northern Indiana, Jason Hamrick enjoyed an all American childhood.

[Family Member]

On the 10th of March 1977, Jason was born at 8:20 in the evening and he was a big baby. He grew in to be a real easy kid to be around. He was quiet, pretty shy. He wasn't a kid that got into a lot of sports or anything like that. But he did enjoy cars and he liked to learn all about them.

[Narrator]

Jason's passion for mechanical engineering led him to join the Air Force after He graduated from high school in 1996.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Jason worked as a mechanic on planes. When he first started out in the Air Force, he was, you know, basically stationed all over the world.

[Family Member]

He loved to travel and that was one thing he enjoyed about the military. He went to Korea and he was there for a year.

[Narrator]

While in Korea, Jason found love where he never expected it. When he met 23 year old Russian transplant Angelina Vladimirovna. The two had an instant chemistry and Jason was enthralled with the blonde bombshell. Angelina met Jason in the Air Force. Her father had a nightclub in South Korea and she was a cocktail waitress out there and she met Jason. Angelina was born in Russia in 1986 and she grew up in the town of Vladivostok. The coastal city borders China and North Korea. Her father found an opportunity to open a nightclub in Seoul, which led Angelina to the South Korean capital. Beautiful girl, very tall, very fashionable.

[Psychologist]

She was a little bit quiet, little bit reserved.

[Family Member]

Jason was infatuated with her. She was pretty and funny and loved to travel.

[Psychologist]

She said that he was very, very nice man, very respectful, very gentleman, and she fell in love with him.

[Narrator]

The couple had what could only be described as a whirlwind romance. But in early 2009, Jason's overseas tour ended and so did the fun.

[Psychologist]

They both go back to their respective countries. She goes back to Russia, he goes back to North Carolina.

[Narrator]

But the two had fallen in love. And over the phone, Jason asked Angelina to come to America to be with him and she agreed.

[Family Member]

He was in love. And as soon as he got back to the States, he did start proceedings, you know, to how to get her over here.

[Narrator]

And what's more, Angelina revealed news that Jason hadn't anticipated.

[Family Member]

She was pregnant. He was excited about becoming a father. It was kind of hard on him because he was so far away.

[Narrator]

Unable to make it to the States in time for Jason to be present for the birth of their son. Angelina delivered their first child in Russia in November of 2009.

[Family Member]

She came over in March and it wasn't long after that that they got married and then she stayed over here.

[Narrator]

Once in the States, Angelina traded in her blonde locks for her natural brown hair as she settled into her new role as an American mom. The military family bounced around the US for the next several years and welcomed two more sons. In 2015, Jason was stationed at an Air Force recruiting office in Cincinnati. Forty miles away in Bethel, Ohio, they found their dream home.

[Family Member]

It was just beautiful.

[Narrator]

A full deck in the backyard with a in ground pool.

[Family Member]

It was just A very, very pretty two story house.

[Narrator]

Despite outward appearances, settling in small town Ohio wasn't an easy transition for Angelina.

[Psychologist]

Angelina been lonely and because she don't have any kind of support community around her, I think her kids, it was just main goal for her life and.

[Narrator]

She did everything possible to be with her kids. Angelina's sense of isolation paired with Jason's military travel caused a rift in the marriage. That's when Jason made the decision to give up the career he'd worked so hard for, to focus on his family.

[Psychologist]

Jason was actually looking to retire from the United States Air Force and start a snap on tools truck business.

[Narrator]

In January of 2018, Angelina convinced Jason that a trip could put the spark back into their marriage.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

They were having problems and Amy and I went down to Bethel to babysit the kids and they went on a cruise with another couple.

[Narrator]

Joining the Hamricks was another Air Force couple, 32 year old Michael Drew Clark and his wife. Michael worked with Jason as a recruiter in Cincinnati and the two had become friends. But when the Hamricks returned from the cruise, it was clear to both Jason and Angelina that the marriage was over.

[Family Member]

I think it was. In March of 2018, he filed for divorce.

[Narrator]

The couple agreed to do what was in the best interest of their three young boys and decided to live under the same roof, albeit in separate bedrooms.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Jason was a good father and he was interested in helping take care of them and he really wanted the best for him.

[Narrator]

Over the next year, the situation seemed stable. But on June 30, 2019, everything changed after being contacted by Jason's mother, Amy Oliver. Deputies from the Claremont County Sheriff's Office soon arrive at the Hamrick's home.

[911 Operator]

Angelina Hamrick allowed them to enter the home and they expressed why they were there.

[Narrator]

Having not yet spoken to Jason's parents, Angelina seems surprised to learn that Jason is feared missing.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Is it normal to go a day.

[911 Operator]

Or two without talking to him or.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Having contact with him?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She said that even though they were staying in the same house, they both came and went as they chose. Was anybody supposed to come and pick.

[911 Operator]

Him up or was he supposed to go anywhere?

[Family Member]

Well, even if he's supposed to, he wouldn't tell me.

[Psychologist]

Angelina told the officers the last time she had seen him was on Friday evening that she took the boys out to get pizza. When she came home, she didn't see him, but she assumed that he was asleep in his bedroom because at that point they had separate bedrooms.

[Narrator]

As deputies continue their conversation with Angelina one steps away to see if Jason's recruitment office has heard from him and they offer up a disturbing lead.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Officers on scene spoke to one of the people he worked with at his recruiting station and in that conversation they were concerned that Jason may have even been suicidal.

[Narrator]

Coming up, fears mount about the serviceman when they discover something else missing.

[911 Operator]

They did discover a empty handgun box, a 9 millimeter semiautomatic handgun, and the whereabouts of that gun were unknown.

[Narrator]

But a blunt admission sets the investigation on a new course.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Do you have a man that you see other than him?

[Family Member]

Yeah, my husband's ex coworker.

[Narrator]

Concerns are mounting in Bethel, Ohio regarding the whereabouts of 42 year old Air Force Tech Sergeant Jason Hamrick, missing for two days. Allegations have surfaced that the serviceman may be in danger.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Deputies on the scene spoke to Jason's commander at the Air Force. Things that he said about Jason's mindset, it led me to believe that Jason may have been suicidal at that point because of what was going on in the relationship. Jason's vehicle was still at the house, so we knew that he either got picked up by a friend or he left on his own on foot.

[Psychologist]

Given the fact he's going through this divorce and his marriage is over, Jason possibly being suicidal was something that the missing persons report officers considered and something they looked at.

[Narrator]

Jason's 33 year old estranged wife, Angelina reiterates that it wasn't unusual for her not to see or speak to Jason for days.

[Psychologist]

Her representations of their relationship was we might live in the same house, but I don't know where he goes, he doesn't know where I go.

[Narrator]

While the Claremont county deputies hunt for Jason, Angelina consents to a search of the home.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She was very cooperative. She allowed him to check the property. There was no indications of any foul play. It was well kept, it was clean. There weren't any obvious stains. There weren't any indications of a struggle.

[Narrator]

Though Jason's car is accounted for, his phone is not. And there's something else missing.

[911 Operator]

They did discover a empty handgun box, a 9 millimeter semi automatic handgun, and the whereabouts of that gun were unknown.

[Narrator]

Hoping to spare the children from the police presence, Jason's mother and stepfather arrived from Indiana.

[Psychologist]

They were probably only at the house for 15 or 20 minutes to pick up the boys. At that point they knew that something horrible had happened.

[Narrator]

At 7:48pm the family's fears come true when the sheriff's Office receives a 911 call from a neighbor of the Hamrecks.

[Psychologist]

He and his wife lived about half a mile away from the Hamricks on the same road, Swings Corner, Point Isabel Road.

[911 Operator]

They were away running errands and on their return, they looked over to the side and observed something in the ditch line. 911, where is your emergency? There's a dead body laying at the end of our driveway.

[Narrator]

I'm sorry.

[911 Operator]

Yes, it's laying in the ditch. It's a man.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

My wife just looked over and seen it.

[911 Operator]

After we received a 911 call, I responded to that scene. The body was face up and it was clothed. But what got our attention was that the body was covered with grass clippings.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Based on the size of the body and the deceased didn't have any hair, we were pretty confident that the physical descriptions we had were consistent with Jason Hammer.

[Narrator]

Investigators brush off the grass to reveal the source of their victim's injuries.

[911 Operator]

Grass clippings were placed on top of the face, over the torso, the legs. There was no question in our minds that someone was trying to cover up or conceal the body. We discovered what appeared to be a head wound. We suspected it to be a gunshot.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

There was no weapon in sight. Not seeing a weapon that would eliminate self harm. I was pretty confident we had a motor on our hands.

[Narrator]

Detectives find evidence that suggests how the body got there to begin with.

[911 Operator]

The clothing was in, was torn, it was shredded. So we discovered that the body looked like it had been dragged. We knew that if his body had been dragged there or shot, that we may have a second crime scene.

[Narrator]

Jason Hamrick's body is taken to the Claremont County Medical Examiner's office while detectives scour the scene for trace evidence.

[911 Operator]

Once we completed our investigation at the body location, we traveled up a half mile to the Hamrick residence.

[Psychologist]

They tell Angelina, hey, we'd like you to come down to the sheriff's office for an interview. And she agrees.

[Narrator]

Once at the station, investigators notify Angelina they've found what they believe to be the body of her husband. But her response seems strange to police.

[Family Member]

How did it happen?

[Law Enforcement Officer]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Family Member]

Is it bloody?

[Law Enforcement Officer]

I'm sorry.

[Family Member]

Is there blood?

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Well, from what they're telling me, there's blood.

[Family Member]

Please don't show me blood. Please don't. I'm gonna pass out.

[911 Operator]

She refuses to identify the body. Angelina Hammer tells the police that she's squeamish.

[Narrator]

Angelina then shares her whereabouts the night Jason disappeared.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She told me that they were outside and they were having a bonfire and that at some point Jason went inside the residence. She told me that she last saw Jason around 9pm she claimed he was sleeping on the couch, and at that point, she had taken the boys to go get pizza. So Friday, when you guys come home from the pizza, you didn't see him after that.

[Family Member]

So his door was shot in his room, and I was thinking, he's asleep.

[Narrator]

After that, Angelina claims she didn't bother to check on him and reaffirms she had no idea he was missing.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She was cooperative. When we asked her for things, such as her credit card to verify that she had made a pizza purchase, she offered up that information readily. She even provided a receipt.

[Narrator]

Then, out of nowhere, Angelina drops a bombshell.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Let me ask you this. Do you have a man that you see other than this?

[Family Member]

Yeah.

[Psychologist]

His name's Drew.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Drew? How do you know Drew?

[Psychologist]

It's my husband's ex coworker. Angelina and Michael Clark, whom she refers to as Drew, begin their affair in October of 2017. They basically meet at one of Jason's work functions. They get drunk and they have sex, and their relationship starts from there.

[Narrator]

Angelina admits they continued their affair ever since that initial encounter.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Do you love Drew?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Okay.

[Family Member]

He's going through the divorce right now.

[Psychologist]

Too, basically because of me.

[Narrator]

Detectives now consider the theory that even though Michael Drew Clark was technically still married, he may have had a jealous motive to commit murder. Detectives let Angelina go and shift focus to their new person of interest, Michael Drew Clark.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Once she mentions that she's having an affair, that's important information because that would give someone else a motive to commit this crime or to hurt Jason.

[Narrator]

Coming up, detectives find evidence that puts Jason's murder close to home.

[911 Operator]

When we took the tarp and we spread it out, there had been a large void cut out of this tarp, large enough for a body to be placed in.

[Narrator]

And a mother's desperation may have led to madness. She said to me that night, the courts are really giving me no choice but to either take the kids and go back to Russia or to kill them.

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[Psychologist]

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[Narrator]

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[Psychologist]

They actually do confirm that it's Jason's body.

[Narrator]

They also discover that the bullet that entered the top of his head lodged in his jaw and was a.9 millimeter, the same caliber as the gun missing from the Hamrick home, investigators begin to look into Angelina Hamrick's confessed lover.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She admitted to me that she was having an affair with one of Jason's former coworkers, a man named Michael Andrew Clark. Immediately after we put out a bolo.

[Narrator]

While police search for Michael, who now lives in Texas, authorities call Jason's family in Butler, Indiana to give them the tragic news.

[Family Member]

This kind of sounds awful. It was a relief. I was so afraid we would never know what happened to him.

[Narrator]

The following morning, investigators make the four hour drive to speak with Jason Hamrick's mother, stepfather and three children in person. Detectives ask the Olivers about the affair between Angelina and Michael Drew Clark he.

[Family Member]

Told my mother that he thought she was having an affair and actually my mother is the one that told me.

[Narrator]

The Olivers share that Jason believed the affair began in 2017, before the couple had separated. And apparently, even though Michael had been restationed in Texas, Angelina devised a plan to keep their affair going.

[Psychologist]

In January of 2018, Angelina and Michael decided it's a great idea to go on a cruise with their two spouses and each other. So all four of them go on a cruise together.

[Family Member]

And they weren't gone very long, and Jason called and said, I'm coming home. Can you pick me up at the airport? And I believe that's when he found out she was having the affair.

[Psychologist]

Don't bring your boyfriend and your husband on the cruise at the same time.

[Family Member]

In March of 2018, he filed for divorce. And then that's when things really got wicked. At the beginning, they both were allowed to live in the house, but she went to the courts and said he was disruptive, and so they made him leave.

[Narrator]

Jason was forced to move out, and for the next year, he agonized over not being able to be with his boys every day.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She had custody of the children and was living in the house. So then he was kind of living in small apartments, hotel rooms, whatever.

[Narrator]

At the same time, Jason was ordered to pay Angelina $1,700 a month for child support.

[Family Member]

They had all this money set back and ready for retirement, and it all went to the divorce. So he was just emotionally a wreck.

[Narrator]

But things changed In February of 2019, when Jason learned from his young children they were often alone for hours at a time.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Angelina would Uber at nights, and she would leave her children alone while she was out Ubering.

[Psychologist]

That became an issue in the divorce and is actually the main reason why the custody switched back to Jason. And Jason got residency of the marital residence again.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

She didn't have a steady job. She wasn't able to make it without getting some kind of financial support from Jason.

[Family Member]

She was sleeping in her car, and Jason said, I can't let her do that. I just can't let that go on.

[Narrator]

Despite the rocky custody battle, Jason was determined to create a stable home for his boys, ages 10, 7, and 2.

[Family Member]

Jason went ahead and let her come back, and there was an extra room in the house anyway.

[Narrator]

Investigators next speak to the two eldest Hamrick boys. They recall sitting around the bonfire at 9:30pm and hearing a loud noise when their parents were inside. But with it being so close to the 4th of July, they assumed it was a firecracker.

[Psychologist]

The middle child, who was 7 at the time, he was thirsty. They were sitting at the bonfire for like an hour or two at that point, and he wanted to go get some water. So he goes up toward the sliding glass door of the house.

[911 Operator]

What he sees in that moment is his father laying on the couch, seemingly asleep with A blanket or a pillow covering up his face.

[Psychologist]

His mom wouldn't let him go inside to get that glass of water. She told him she would get it.

[Family Member]

So he saw it. I think he just didn't realize it until, you know, when he put it all together, that he was probably dead at that time.

[Narrator]

The boys say after their mom took them to get pizza, they came home, ate, and went to bed. They never went downstairs to check on their dad and never saw him again. Could Jason have been killed while the boys were right outside the house? Back in Bethel, Ohio, a warranted search is underway at the Hamricks home to to find proof.

[911 Operator]

As we were walking around the rear of the deck behind the pool, there was a large pool covering a tarp, if you will, just bundled up, rolled up behind the decking. When we took the tarp and we spread it out, there had been a large void cut out of this tarp, large enough for a body to be placed in. We never did find the missing tarp, but as we continued combing through grass along the roadway, we discovered more fabric of what we suspected to be tar fragments. Not only that, we discovered blue jean material.

[Narrator]

The fragments of fabric are found on the road exiting the Hamrick property because.

[911 Operator]

Of where the fragments were located. That gave the investigators an idea that there may have been some sort of mechanism used to drag the body down the roadway.

[Narrator]

The evidence outside suggests the murder was committed inside.

[911 Operator]

One would think that, you know, somebody shot in the head would create and produce a lot of blood. When we were at the scene, we didn't see that.

[Narrator]

But the naked eye can only see so much. Police call in a forensics team to search for blood residue, but are forced to wait until a team can be dispatched from Cincinnati. During their canvass of the area, police question neighbor and winery owner Pat Hornick, and she shares a chilling last encounter with Angelina on the evening of June 28th.

[Family Member]

It was a Friday evening, a busy evening, and Angelina came over and went up to the tasting bar.

[Narrator]

I had gone over to her and.

[Family Member]

Said, you look really sad. What's going on? And she started about how he has the courts on his side.

[Narrator]

Pat's story paints a picture of a woman embroiled in a bitter custody dispute. She said to me that night, the courts are really giving me no choice but to either tell, take the kids and go back to Russia, or to kill them. And I remember my immediate response was.

[Family Member]

Angelina, that's not the answer.

[Narrator]

Then she left.

[Family Member]

After that, it was probably 8:00.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a person of interest Becomes a potential ally for law enforcement, Both.

[911 Operator]

Saying, you've admitted to having thoughts of running away to Mexico and Russia with the kids.

[Family Member]

I can go wherever I want to go.

[Narrator]

And detectives shine a new light on the evidence.

[911 Operator]

It literally lit up like a Christmas tree right then and there. We knew where Jason Hamrick had been murdered.

[Narrator]

On July 1, 2019, two days after the body of Jason Hamrick is found, Bethel law enforcement suspect his estranged wife Angelina committed the crime. On the same day, investigators make contact with air force Tech Sergeant Michael Drew Clark to inform him of his former co worker's death.

[Psychologist]

He lives in Texas. So the officers called Michael Clark. He answers the phone and talks to Sergeant Berger and immediately confirms, yes, Angelina and I are having this affair.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

He was very forthcoming, and he even went on to tell me that he and Angelina had discussed killing Jason numerous times.

[Psychologist]

She discussed shooting him. She discussed stabbing him. She discussed poisoning him.

[Narrator]

Michael claims he didn't think Angelina was serious, so he played along. And he is adamant he was nowhere near the Hamrick house the weekend of Jason's death. He says the last time he visited Ohio was two weeks earlier. Based on cell phone records, police believe him.

[911 Operator]

His whereabouts, we confirmed, were in the state of Texas at the time of Jason Hamrick's murder.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

I asked if he'd be willing to record conversations with Angelina to get any information, and he said he was willing to do so.

[Narrator]

Michael's desire to further prove his innocence leads detectives to get a wiretap up and running and record the couple's call.

[911 Operator]

Those things you've admitted to having thoughts.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Of running away to Russia with the kids.

[Narrator]

It's my kids.

[Family Member]

I can go wherever I want to go.

[Psychologist]

What you hear in those conversations is that she has no concern about Jason. She doesn't care. And in fact, her comments are, well, I don't know what the divorce court's doing because now the other parent's dead, so I should just have custody.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

You're not trying to take the kids away, are you?

[Family Member]

No.

[911 Operator]

Okay.

[Family Member]

Not anymore at this point.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Okay, good.

[Psychologist]

But I'm not trying to keep them.

[Family Member]

Away from another parent anymore. Right.

[911 Operator]

Right.

[Narrator]

The recorded conversations fail to capture Angelina confessing to Jason's murder, But something she says gives investigators an idea.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Angelina had been asking Drew to come to Ohio to be with her. It was decided that we would get a rental car, recording devices, and rent a hotel room for Drew so that he could have some privacy with Angelina in hopes that we could get statements from her recorded.

[Psychologist]

So July 4th, Michael Clark flies into Cincinnati to assist with the sting operation, the plan was for them to go out to dinner and then go to a hotel room in the area.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

There were several detectives that were on scene at the hotel to be close by in case something happened.

[Psychologist]

But as soon as Angelina saw Michael Drew Clark, she started touching his body everywhere to see if he had bugs on him like wires. She is acting suspicious of him, basically right away.

[Narrator]

When the couple arrives at the hotel, the sting operation implodes.

[Psychologist]

After about an hour or so, Michael freaks out, leaves the room, says, I'm not doing it anymore.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

While he was out of the room, Angelina actually destroyed two of the cameras.

[Psychologist]

It was like, over a thousand dollars worth of recording equipment that she destroyed and, you know, wrote a lovely little letter.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

They came across a note left behind that said, all Americans are.

[Narrator]

With the sting. A bust. Detectives confront Michael Drew Clark.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

It was pretty evident to me that he had told Angelina that they were being recorded, that we had set this up. Even though he denied it.

[Psychologist]

They take him back to the sheriff's office. He agrees at that point to take a polygraph examination. While they're there doing that, Angelina shows up at the sheriff's office.

[911 Operator]

I didn't have an interview room since Mr. Clark was in our interview room, so I chose to speak with her in the lobby. I simply put a voice recorder in my pocket and just began talking with.

[Family Member]

I just want that you guys give me a break. You're looking in the wrong place.

[911 Operator]

You're not looking in the wrong place. There is no other suspect. Angelina, everything points to you.

[Psychologist]

I think it's true.

[Narrator]

Angelina is allowed to leave as her lover, Michael Drew Clark, agrees to a polygraph test.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

During the polygraph examination, Drew was asked, do you know for sure who killed Jason Hamrick? And he responded, no. And the result was that he was not telling the truth.

[Psychologist]

They confront him with the fact that he failed the polygraph, and he just sort of collapses.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

He then admitted that he received a phone call from Angelina Friday night, and she told him, I did it.

[Narrator]

According to Michael, Angelina said she had found the key to the safe where Jason kept his 9 millimeter handgun.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Angelina told him that she had done it while Jason was sleeping on the couch and that there was a large mess.

[Psychologist]

He tells her to get rid of the body. She tells him, I'm gonna go take the boys to get pizza, and then I'm gonna take care of this.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Michael Clark was taken into custody after taking the polygraph. At that point, it was evident that he had lied to us about his knowledge about the murder, and we did Charge Drew with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.

[Narrator]

The next morning, police arrive at the Hamrick home and place Angelina under arrest.

[Psychologist]

Angelina was charged the next morning, on July 6, 2019, for aggravated murder.

[Narrator]

As Angelina sits behind bars, detectives get word that the forensics team has made a startling discovery.

[911 Operator]

In this particular case, they utilized what's called Blue star. It's a chemical reactive agent that can react to hemoglobin in blood, whether. Whether that's active blood or blood that has been cleaned up in the area of where we believe Jason Hamrick was shot. As he laid on the couch, we sprayed the floor, and it literally lit up like a Christmas tree. Right then and there. We confirmed where Jason Hamrick had been murdered.

[Narrator]

Coming up, Angelina's premeditation is on full display.

[Psychologist]

11 days before the murder, she was googling about poison, doing a string of searches about how to illegally get children over to Russia.

[911 Operator]

She either had to take the kids and flee without him knowing and without his permission, or kill him.

[Narrator]

On July 6, 2019, Angelina Hamrick and her lover, Michael Drew Clark, both sit in jail for. For the murder of Jason Hamrick, with Angelina believed to be the shooter.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

Michael Clark lied to us about his knowledge about the murder and his prior discussions with Angelina, but we were pretty confident that he wasn't physically in Ohio to help commit the murder.

[Narrator]

For her part, a search of Angelina's Internet activity in the weeks leading up to the murder showed a clear level.

[Psychologist]

Of premeditation on June 17, 2019. So 11 days before the murder, she was googling about poison then. Actually, the day of the murder, June 28, 2019, she is on her phone doing a string of searches about how to illegally get children over to Russia. They've got a divorce hearing in a few days, and basically the world is narrowing for her.

[911 Operator]

She either had to take the kids and flee without him knowing and without his permission, or kill her.

[Narrator]

Investigators believe Angelina put her plan into motion. On the night of June 28, she.

[Psychologist]

Leaves the winery around 8pm she starts a bonfire in the backyard with her son, and Jason goes inside the house. She left the bonfire at some point that night and goes inside the house. She goes upstairs, she gets the gun, and she comes downstairs, and she shot him in the head while he was laying on the couch. She basically covered him up temporarily with some blankets and pillows. She takes the boys out to get pizza. She picks up the pizza. They go home, they eat. She puts the boys to bed like nothing happened.

[Narrator]

Michael Drew Clark's confession helps authorities theorize what happened next.

[Psychologist]

She cuts out A section of that pool tarp. She rolls his body onto the pool tarp, attached his body to the back of the van, drove him down the road either as far as she could get him or as far as she dared.

[Law Enforcement Officer]

I believe she used the grass clippings to try to conceal his body. And then Angelina had taken several hours to clean up as best she could.

[Narrator]

Prosecutors also assume Jason's phone and the gun were disposed of under the COVID of night.

[Psychologist]

They don't have the murder weapon, but you can paint this picture that that living room was filled with blood. Somebody cleaned it, and she was the only one there.

[Narrator]

In July of 2019, an Ohio grand jury hears the charges against Angelina Hamrick and Michael Drew Clark. And Michael catches a break.

[Psychologist]

We did present conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. They declined to indict Michael Clark for those charges and instead indicted him on obstructing justice. And that was based on his lies to law enforcement.

[Narrator]

In exchange for his testimony against Angelina, Michael Drew Clark is sentenced to six months in jail. Angelina is indicted for first degree murder with Michael as the state's star witness. After several Covid related delays, Angelina's trial concludes on April 29, 2021. It takes a jury less than two hours to reach a verdict.

[911 Operator]

Angelina Hamrick was sentenced by the court of common pleas to a 30 year to life sentence.

[Family Member]

It was such relief, you know, the satisfaction is the justice that was done.

[Narrator]

But for a family that has lost so much, the verdict comes as cold comfort.

[Family Member]

It's a sad, sad situation, the whole thing.

[Narrator]

And the kids are the ones that are going to be suffering for it.

[Family Member]

I would want him to know how proud I was of him. I don't know if there was anything he could have done differently when it came to her. He could not go up against somebody like that because he has a conscience and she doesn't.

[Podcast Host]

Angelina Hamrick is currently housed at Dayton Correctional Institution. She isn't eligible for parole until 2052. She will be 65 years old. Jason Hamrick's mother and stepfather are raising their three grandchildren.

[911 Operator]

It's me, the mean one, the green one, the Grinch. And I'm back for season two of Tis the Grinch Holiday podcast. And this holiday season, we're going big, baby. I'm talking a list, guest B comedy. And together with my crew, that's Max the doc and Cindy Lou who.

[Family Member]

Hello, everyone.

[911 Operator]

I'll try to clear my name once again from the latest accusations leveled against me. Turns out somebody stole all the children of Whoville's letters to Santa. And for some reason everybody thinks I did it. It's a real Whoville who done it. So join me for season two of Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast when it drops drops on November 25th. Follow tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Unlock weekly Christmas mystery bonus content and listen to every episode ad free by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery App, Spotify, or on Apple Podcasts.