Attorney: Death was violent

KNOXVILLE, TENN. - The last moments of Jennifer Lee Hampton's life were violent, a Tennnessee prosecutor argued Friday as he pushed to have a grand jury hear evidence against the man charged with her death.

During a preliminary hearing for Valentino Vasques Miranda, 19, who is charged with first-degree murder in Hampton's death, Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Phil Morton said an autopsy revealed the 21-year-old former Waterloo High School homecoming queen was brutally assaulted before she was killed Sept. 20 at a Knoxville motel where Miranda worked and lived.

As he read excerpts from the autopsy report, Morton said Hampton was sexually assaulted, strangled and beaten. He said the autopsy found bruises on her face and arms, a busted lip and a broken tooth. "Clearly from this report, Jennifer Hampton died a somewhat violent death."

Hampton's nude body was found Sept. 27 in Melton Hill Lake about 6 miles from the motel where she was staying while she helped open a Mama Blues restaurant.

Morton contends there is much evidence linking Miranda with her death.

Morton said investigators conducting the autopsy found Miranda's DNA under Hampton's fingernails and his semen on her body.

Morton said Hampton's blood was found on clothing seized from Miranda when he was arrested on forgery charges Sept. 20 for having a falsified Social Security card. Investigators have said Miranda, who moved to Knoxville from Mexico, is an illegal immigrant.

"The defendant is connected to the death of Jennifer Lee Hampton," Morton said in his closing argument.

Knox County General Sessions Judge Andrew Jackson VI honored Morton's request to send the case to the grand jury. "I believe clearly the state has proven probable case."

Morton said after the hearing it will probably be December before the case is presented to the grand jury. Grand jury members could be asked to consider additional charges against Miranda, including kidnapping and rape.

Miranda wore headphones Friday as he listened to an interpreter translate the testimony.

First-degree murder is punishable by death in Tennessee, but prosecutors have not decided if they will seek the death penalty.

Defense attorney Joseph Fanduzz said after the hearing that Miranda maintains he is innocent. "There are lots of unanswered questions out there. Now we will go through the legal process to answer them."

Miranda is being held in the Knox County Detention Facility on a $1 million bond.

During Friday's hearing, Miranda's girlfriend, Rosa Rodriguez Hernandez, testified that when she discovered what appeared to be blood and semen on the suspect's clothing, she alerted a friend who contacted a motel employee who called police.

Hernandez testified that as she and Miranda cleaned the motel rooms Sept. 20, she found a small amount of blood on the sheets and pillow cases in room 146, which is where Hampton had been staying.

At times during Hernandez' testimony, members of Hampton's family who were in the courtroom began to cry.

Speaking through an interpreter, Hernandez testified Miranda refused to answer when she asked him about the stains on his clothing. Hernandez testified that when she pressed Miranda for an answer he replied, "If I tell you, you're not going to like it. In due time, you will know."

Hernandez also testified that Miranda left the room they shared at the motel around 4 a.m. Sept. 20, telling her he was going to get a beer. She said Miranda took the keys they used to open doors when they cleaned the motel rooms. When Hernandez went outside to look for him about 15 minutes later, she could not find him.

She testified Miranda returned to the room more than an hour later and went to sleep.

During questioning by Morton, Hernandez identified a collection of keys and a swipe card seized during the investigation as the ones Miranda took with him when he left the room before dawn Sept. 20. She said the keys provided access to every room at the motel.

Police have said hotel records show the swipe card assigned to Miranda and Hernandez was used to open Hampton's door on the morning she disappeared.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.