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

[Amanda]

I don't believe so Lato. There isn't anything new today so far that I can see.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://charlotte.news14.com/content...n-of-police-chief-s-daughter-after-three-days

10:25 AM
Still no sign of police chief's daughter after three days
By: Jonathan Lowe

CHARLOTTE—It has now been three days and there's still no sign of a missing Charlotte woman who is also the daughter of the Concord police chief, Merl Hamilton.

 

[mysticrose]

Valerie Hamilton

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

 

[Knox]

Hooter's T-Shirts are sold in the stores and elsewhere, so who knows?
Here is her facebook page ...
http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=valerie+hamilton&o=2048&s=20#!/profile.php?id=100000319113400&v=info&ref=search

ETA; The posts by RM, curious ... Also has a MS Page (IF it's the same person), he's 47, wears a hat so can't see his hair.

 

[panthera]

Police Chief's Missing Daughter Gets National Attention

Updated: 1:00 pm EDT September 18, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The case of a local police chief's missing daughter received national attention on Saturday, as authorities continue to search for Valerie Hamilton.

"America's Most Wanted" picked up on the case, but there was no word whether it helped police with the investigation.

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.

Valerie Hamilton was last seen at a bar in Charlotte's Plaza Midwood neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
Hamilton is the daughter of Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton.

Robin Varner and Kathryn Foster work with Hamilton at the Little Otter Swim School.

Foster said she was with a group of people who partied with Hamilton at the Thomas Street Tavern before Hamilton disappeared.
Foster did not want go into detail about the outing because of the ongoing investigation.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, however, released a description of a man Hamilton was seen talking to at the bar.

Some friends told investigators Hamilton might have left the bar with the man.

“She’s a very outgoing person. She makes friends,” Varner said. “She would never disappear like this, ever.”

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

 

[panthera]

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 am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. MOO

 

[Lavanda Dolce]

I am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. MOO

I read where her keys were in her vehicle on the console.

 

[Lavanda Dolce]

Prayers she will be located safely!

 

[panthera]

I read where her keys were in her vehicle on the console.

Do you remember which article? TIA

 

[Lavanda Dolce]

I am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. MOO

Dogs spent the day canvassing areas around the Thomas Street Tavern.

It’s the same place the 23-year-old was seen early Wednesday morning.

Her car was found parked in front of a barbershop, just steps from the Tavern’s front door.

The owner, Lance Washington says it’s not unusual for people visiting the Tavern to park in front of his business.

Not unusual still for people to go to the tavern and leave their car overnight until the next morning or afternoon.

But two days he says it too long.

“What made it suspicious was there were car keys or keys left in the middle console and a pocket book,” Washington said.
http://lostnmissing.amplify.com/201...e-hamilton-23-police-chiefs-daughter-missing/

 

[Lavanda Dolce]

Do you remember which article? TIA

In the console. Sorry. I read, on the console.
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13176210

 

[panthera]

In the console. Sorry. I read, on the console.
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13176210

Thanks so much! I had missed that site's update last night. So it would definitely appear she had put her things in the car, intending to drive away and she was abducted from there ~ as opposed to have just gotten into someone's car willingly with the intent to leave her car there overnight. MOO

 

[jcamille]

Not unusual still for people to go to the tavern and leave their car overnight until the next morning or afternoon.

But two days he says it too long.

“What made it suspicious was there were car keys or keys left in the middle console and a pocket book,” Washington said.
http://lostnmissing.amplify.com/201...e-hamilton-23-police-chiefs-daughter-missing/

I personally can't believe that someone didn't break into the car if it sat for two days with the keys and purse visible.

As a woman, you don't go anywhere without your purse or the most important contents of it - ID, keys, cell phone.

The only place where I will leave my purse in the TRUNK of my car is when I take my dog to the dog park. But I take out my ID, cell phone and car keys and put those in my pocket so that I have them with me at all times.

It also makes no sense - the idea that she may have left her car there, went with him to her apt. with the idea of coming back later to get her car - even if she had been drinking. There would be no traffic at that time of night, but it would still be a 20 minute drive each way from her apt. to where her car was.

I think he walked her to her car because it was late, she opened her car, put her purse inside, turned around to thank him for walking her to her car and say goodnight to him and that's when he abducted her because she may have declined his invitation to continue the evening.

Although the area does have an active nightlife, Tuesday night is not a typical party night in Charlotte. At 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, there could not have been that many people out and about.

 

[panthera]

I personally can't believe that someone didn't break into the car if it sat for two days with the keys and purse visible.

As a woman, you don't go anywhere without your purse or the most important contents of it - ID, keys, cell phone.

The only place where I will leave my purse in the TRUNK of my car is when I take my dog to the dog park. But I take out my ID, cell phone and car keys and put those in my pocket so that I have them with me at all times.

It also makes no sense - the idea that she may have left her car there, went with him to her apt. with the idea of coming back later to get her car - even if she had been drinking. There would be no traffic at that time of night, but it would still be a 20 minute drive each way from her apt. to where her car was.

I think he walked her to her car because it was late, she opened her car, put her purse inside, turned around to thank him for walking her to her car and say goodnight to him and that's when he abducted her because she may have declined his invitation to continue the evening.

Although the area does have an active nightlife, Tuesday night is not a typical party night in Charlotte. At 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, there could not have been that many people out and about.

If these keys found are her car keys, chances are the apt. key would also be there so that seems to rule out the possibility she went home afterward. And I totally agree, no one would leave their personal belongings like a purse and ID in the car at night while going off with someone else. It appears she was intending to leave in her car when she was abducted, and maybe dropped the keys on/in the console. I also agree it is likely not that many people were around at that hour of the night/early morning on Wednesday. It also seems unlikely she was intending to go anywhere but home since she had to work that day. MOO

 

[jcamille]

I went over to Thomas Street Tavern today to take some pics of the area to show you. There were 2 TV trucks getting film, but not much activity otherwise.

There is a photo of Thomas Street Tavern (note red car and red umbrellas for reference).

There is a photo standing in front of Thomas Street Tavern (note red car) toward the parking lot where her car was found. The parking lot is diagonally and to the right across the street.

Then there are two photos taken from the parking lot looking towards Thomas Street Tavern (you can make out the red umbrellas in the distance).

Given that the parking lot is surrounded by on-street parking and trees, it definitely has a feeling of being secluded. It's also a deep parking lot that goes farther back than it looks. It appears to hold maybe 60 cars and is located at the corner of Central Avenue and Thomas Street. There is a city bus stop right beside the parking lot on Central Avenue. I noticed alot of people hanging out in that area waiting on the bus.

I am an extremely careful person and I can tell you that there's NO POSSIBILITY whatsoever that I would have parked in that lot at night and walked through it by myself to and from Thomas Street Tavern.

In fact, I never even felt comfortable parking in that lot when I went to my hairdresser in the early evening each month. I would only park in one of the on-street spaces on Thomas Street because I felt that the on-street parking was safer than the parking lot.

 

[Lori59]

I have read in some reports that her car was parked in the barber shop parking lot right next to Thomas Tavern. I can't remember it ....where is in as far as your pictures are concerned ..... to the right of the Tavern? Also, the times I went there for lunch we parked in a parking lot that you drove down a lane on the left side of the Tavern and it went back behind and was next to the outside sitting area out back. Is that the parking lot you took pictures of today? Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Lori59]

Here's the article where the barber shop owner talks about seeing her car in his parking lot. He also talks about speaking with the father after the car had been there for 2 days with keys and a purse inside. Wondering if he was the one that alerted them to her car?

http://www.wcnc.com/news/Search-for-police-chiefs-daughter-enters-third-day-103210794.html

 

[jcamille]

I have read in some reports that her car was parked in the barber shop parking lot right next to Thomas Tavern. I can't remember it ....where is in as far as your pictures are concerned ..... to the right of the Tavern? Also, the times I went there for lunch we parked in a parking lot that you drove down a lane on the left side of the Tavern and it went back behind and was next to the outside sitting area out back. Is that the parking lot you took pictures of today? Thanks for the pictures.

If you are looking at the front of Thomas Street Tavern which is on Thomas Street, there is a little strip of shops to the right of it with parking in front of those shops - maybe 10-12 spaces. Since that parking is SO limited and would easily be taken over by Penquin and Thomas Street patrons, they are literally - predatory - about towing any cars from those spaces when patrons don't go in those businesses.

If you are looking at Thomas Street Tavern, there is another restaurant to the left - called The Dish which is close to the corner of Thomas St. and Central.

The parking lot that I took pictures of would be - If you are standing in FRONT of Thomas Street Tavern and looking to your right, there is a lot across the street, but diagonally to the right. It's at the corner of Central and Thomas. There is a barber shop on Central Avenue right across from the lot.

There is an outdoor eating area as you can see from the red umbrellas. I have never been back behind Thomas Street Tavern to know about any parking back there.

 

[jcamille]

Here's the article where the barber shop owner talks about seeing her car in his parking lot. He also talks about speaking with the father after the car had been there for 2 days with keys and a purse inside. Wondering if he was the one that alerted them to her car?

http://www.wcnc.com/news/Search-for-police-chiefs-daughter-enters-third-day-103210794.html

I just watched the wcnc.com video - that reporter is standing in the lot that I took pictures of.

The way she points - would be the little parking area in front of those few businesses in that small strip of shops. They are so diligent about towing cars from that lot in front of those businesses that I can't believe her car could sit there for two days. In fact, the surrounding businesses (i.e. my hairdresser) have signs on their doors telling patrons - do not park in that little lot because you will be towed.

 

[Lori59]

I just watched the wcnc.com video - that reporter is standing in the lot that I took pictures of.

The way she points - would be the little parking area in front of those few businesses in that small strip of shops. They are so diligent about towing cars from that lot in front of those businesses that I can't believe her car could sit there for two days. In fact, the surrounding businesses (i.e. my hairdresser) have signs on their doors telling patrons - do not park in that little lot because you will be towed.

In the article (or it may be another news story) he states that the first day he assumed the car was left by someone that had been at Thomas Street. It was after the second day that he thought it was strange. I guess he was just being nice not having it towed. He then talks about consoling the dad when he spoke with him about the car.
When we would have lunch there we would park in back to the left of the Tavern. There is a deck and a larger outdoor sitting area in the back that over looks that parking area. It was fine in the daytime but would not feel safe to me at night.