Draft:Richard Hamlin
Richard Hamlin | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Spousal Abuse/Torture |
| Spouse | Susan Hamlin |
| Children | Jennifer Hamlin, Alec Hamlin, Clare Hamlin, Ryan Hamlin |
| Criminal charge | Torture, child abuse, making a criminal threat, and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse |
| Penalty | Life in prison |
Richard William Hamlin is an American lawyer and convicted criminal, known mostly for the abuse her inflicted on his wife and children. Before his conviction, Hamlin was a prosecutor and defense attorney in Sacramento, California. On February 26, 2004, Hamlin and his wife, Susan, went to the local sheriff's office, claiming she was part of a satanic cult, that she molested the children, and planned to kill Hamlin. Upon further investigation, it was found that Hamlin was torturing his wife and abusing their children. He was convicted on January 11, 2006, and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
Background
[edit]Hamlin met his future wife, Susan, in law school and dated for 6 months before proposing to Susan on Valentine's Day.[1] Susan became a stay-at-home mother at Richard's persuasion, going on to have 4 children together. He would work in the Sacramento D.A.'s office as a Deputy D.A. from 1985 to 1989 before becoming a Criminal Defense Attorney, then having his own law practice in El Dorado Hills.[2]
Hamlin's abuse started when Susan refused to have sex with him as much as he wanted. Susan would later say, "He wanted me to be in bed having sex all the time. And 'what's wrong with me? I should be wanting to have sex all the time, too'. It was a real power struggle."[1] Hamlin started to believe Susan wasn't having sex because she must have been sexually abused by her father in the past. Susan denied this, but Hamlin claimed she must be suppressing the memories, and he would hold "memory getting sessions" to recover them.[1][3] He would find innocent photos of her childhood and claim it was evidence of abuse, claiming it wasn't normal for her dad to hug her or hold her as a child.[1][3] Richard would later testify in court that Susan would have panic attack during the sessions, and he treated her depression with mind altering drugs.[3][4] He would also introduce weapons to the sessions, threatening her with a sword and a gun[1][3]. He would use the weapons to keep her in the sessions. As Susan kept denying the allegations, Hamlin began physically abusing her. This included boxing her eyes, drag her by the hair, punching her in the stomach and ribs when he knew the ribs were broken, breaking her nose, dislocating her jaw, pistol whipped her, and breaking furniture against her.[1][5]
Hamlin believed because she won't admit to the abuse, she must be supporting her abusive father and was no longer a victim. In January 2004, Hamlin got a book on “surviving ritualistic satanic abuse, or something to that effect,” and came to believe the molestation she suffered had “a satanic cult theme.”[6] He convinced the children she was part of a satanic cult, that their grandfather was a leader and Susan was an inspiring high priestess. That she had married Hamlin as he was "a Christian with a mission” and "must be eliminated" and targeted as a trophy for the cult.[5] He claimed his abuse was to beat the demons out of her, and that they had been sexually abused by her.[1] Claiming they didn't remember because they repressed the memories just like how Susan had.[5] In February 2004, he believed the cult had come to kill him, and that two Jehovah Witnesses were really cult members coming to kill him. As they left, Hamlin got a gun and chased after them, in doing so he accidentally shot himself in the leg.[1] Even though he told Susan he shot the gun, he told the children the cult shot him and after returning from the hospital he started isolating the family from the outside.[3][6] Susan would later say, "He told the kids they were no longer to talk to me or have any contact with me. He was gonna get them a new mom and get rid of me. It just felt like a matter of time before he was gonna kill me."[1]
Investigation and Arrest
[edit]The police first investigated Hamlin two weeks before his arrest when school officials made reports of frequent unexplained absents from the children, and one daughter mentioned her mother having broken ribs and how they had to care for her.[7]
On February 26, 2004, Hamlin and Susan went to the sheriff's office, he had a plan that she would admit her crimes to the police.[6][8] Susan agreed hoping she could use this chance to escape. She gave the statement Hamlin had claimed happened, saying she molested her kids and was planning on murdering her husband. She explained her injuries were from another cult member punching her, but police were still suspicious of Richard Hamlin. [9] Not feeling that the home was safe either way, C.P.S. took the children away as the police would further the investigation. Susan was released, despite protests from her asking to be put into custody.[1]
The Hamlin children were interviewed by police and C.P.S, telling their father's version of what was happening. The children would later say how in a matter of hours their world had changed and realized their father was lying about the molestation by their mother.[1][5] They would talk about the abuse the family suffered under their father, causing police to arrest Hamlin on the 28th for child abuse.[7]
Conviction
[edit]Susan was examined at the local hospital, using the findings as evidence of her abuse.[5] Her injuries included, " both of her ears were extremely swollen and bruised, with one ear canal 90 percent swollen shut; she had bruising on her face from underneath her eye all the way down to underneath her chin; her nose was broken; she had bruising on her neck, shoulder, arm, abdomen, and thigh; and she had five broken ribs".[6]
Hamlin was indicted on 18 counts: Torture; 3 counts of Child abuse; Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury; Making a criminal threat; Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse; False imprisonment by violence; Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse (with a great bodily injury enhancement); Assault with a deadly weapon or by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury; Making a criminal threat (with an arming enhancement); False imprisonment by violence (with an arming enhancement); Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse; Assault with a deadly weapon or by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (with a firearm use enhancement); Making a criminal threat (with a firearm use enhancement); Discharge of a firearm with gross negligence; Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse (with a great bodily injury enhancement); and Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. [5][6]
Trial went from October 2005 through January 2006, with Richard Hamlin being found guilty of guilty of torture, three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, making a criminal threat, and three counts of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse. He was sentenced to life.[3][5][7][6]
Aftermath
[edit]Hamlin tried to appeal his charges, serving as his own lawyer.[7] Hamlin raised issues he saw around evidence, such as it being insufficient and had numerous errors. On February 09, 2009, the Court of Appeal, Third District, California upheld the conviction, also sentencing him an additional 540 days for the child abuse counts.[6]
Susan, Jennifer, Clare, and Alec Hamlin appeared on the TV documentary show Evil Live Here in 2017, being interviewed of what life was like living with Richard and what happened before his conviction.[10]
Hamlin has been up for parole 3 times, in 2011, 2019, and 2023.,[11] His parole was denied each time, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office made a Facebook post on Dec. 29, 2023, saying [12]
His former wife and all four of his children demonstrated tremendous courage and resilience by attending the day-long hearing and speaking before the Board of Parole Hearings. Their statements described their suffering and upbringing by Hamlin, which has impacted each of their lives. In spite of having to relive the trauma of that time, they all consistently, eloquently and strongly objected to the release of Hamlin. Commissioner Troy Taira and Deputy Commissioner Kathleen Newman both determined Hamlin still posed a current threat to public safety, citing among other factors, that Hamlin lacked credibility in a number of areas, that he had not yet addressed his sadistic behavior, and he had minimized the extent of his violence toward his former wife
— The El Dorado County District Attorney
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k “Trapped In Hell.” Evil Lives Here, directed by J. Tom Pougue and Phoebe Kwong, season 2, episode 9, Investigation Discovery, 2017.
- ^ Vanapalli, Viswa (2022-09-08). "Susan and Richard Hamlin: Where is the Survivor and the Abusive Husband Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e f Sommer Sanchez (2025-02-24). Extreme Mind Control, Torture & a “Secret Family Cult”. Retrieved 2025-05-27 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The Bizarre Case of Richard and Susan Hamlin - by Robert T. Carroll - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com". www.skepdic.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g El Dorado County Superior Court (January 2004). Richard Hamlin court documents. El Dorado County Superior Court (published 2020-04-29).
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "PEOPLE v. HAMLIN (2009)". Findlaw. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b c d Journal, California Bar (March 2006). "Ex-prosecutor suspended after torture conviction". California Bar Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ News Staff, ABC (February 6, 2007). "Brainwashed by Her Husband". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Family Of Convicted Torturer To Fight His Release - CBS Sacramento". www.cbsnews.com. 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ Wray, James (2017-03-13). "Evil Lives Here examines case of Susan and Richard Hamlin with satanic cult claims and spousal torture". Daily Crime. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ staff, Village Life (2023-12-29). "Hamlin denied parole again". Village Life. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ El Dorado County District Attorney (December 29, 2023). "El Dorado County District Attorney's Post". Facebook.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)