SPARTANBURG MAN RECEIVES LIFE PRISON SENTENCE FOR MURDER PLEA

A Spartanburg man received a life prison sentence this morning after he admitted to killing a female acquaintance.

Christopher L. Hampton, 25, pleaded guilty to murder moments before the start of his trial. He will serve every day of Circuit Judge John Few’s sentence.

Hampton killed Tamika Huston, 24, on May 27, 2004 during an argument at his Freemont School Apartment home. He used a hot iron to hit Huston in her head. After Huston fell to the floor, Hampton made no attempt to help her. He went to a friend’s house to drink beer and he purchased household cleaning supplies from a local store. Hours later, Hampton buried the body in a wooded area off Tyger River Drive in western Spartanburg County.

Spartanburg Public Safety investigators arrested Hampton on the murder charge in August. After his arrest, he confessed to the crime and led investigators to Huston’s remains.

Solicitor Trey Gowdy teamed with Principal Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette and Assistant Solicitor Cindy Smith to prosecute the case.

“I’m happy this ordeal is over for Tamika’s family,” Solicitor Trey Gowdy said. “They did a wonderful job of telling the court about her. Today was Tamika Huston’s day in court as much as it was for Chris Hampton.”

Hampton’s criminal record includes a conviction for bank robbery.