Family reaction to Hamilton indictment
32 year-old Cortez Hamilton now faces a charge of first degree murder for the death of his wife Keisha Hamilton and now that the details of the grand jury indictment have been released, it finally sheds light on the horrific events that unfolded earlier this year.
Hamilton now sits in James T. Vaughn Correctional Institution awaiting arraignment after a Kent County Grand Jury indicted the 32 year old for the murder of his wife Keisha.
47 ABC spoke with Delaware Department of Justice spokesperson Carl Kanefsky who tells us, “Ms. Hamilton is still missing but prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to bring the murder charge.”
This all started back on January 10th when an Amber Alert was sent out for the couple’s two missing children 4 year old Colette Hamilton and her infant brother Cortez Junior and a Gold Alert was issued for Keisha. Within 24 hours Investigators managed to track down Cortez Hamilton and his children to Indiana. At the time he was charged only with second degree assault. Authorities brought the children back to Delaware and eventually had Hamilton extradited, as well.
State police added charges of first degree assault, deadly weapon possession during commission of a felony and two counts of endangering a child’s welfare. But this indictment with it’s new charges alleges that what happened 3 months ago was much more horrific than originally thought. The 4 counts charge Cortez Hamilton with reportedly killing his wife with a hammer in front of his children before he apparently took off across the country.
Kanefsky tells 47 ABC, “There has been no plea or anything like that his opportunity for a plea comes at that arraignment.”
So far, there have been no decisions on when Hamilton will be back in court for his arraignment for the murder charge. We’re told it’s during that court hearing that a new bail amount will be set and he can plead either guilty or not guilty.
Considering all of this new, graphic information, 47 ABC checked in with Keisha Hamilton’s sister Janell Foster, who is now caring for Colette and Cortez Junior along with Keisha’s other two children, and she tells us the family is devastated.
Foster tells 47 ABC, “This has been a tragedy that’s affected us in more ways than one…My sister didn’t deserve what her husband did to her and basically with the family speaking at this time its justice for her…We love her very dearly and we’re not going to stop until we see Cortez sentenced.”
Despite her young age, Foster says 4 year-old Colette is fully aware of what is going on.
Foster tells 47 ABC, “Yes she understands exactly what’s going on through therapy and talking to her and you know she was kidnapped and she was actually on the scene the night that my sister was murdered so this has just been horrifying for us and for her in trying to help her deal with that whole situation. We do have an attorney now, Jason Powell from Wilmington who is representing the family now on the matter concerning Keisha and you know the complicated-ness of her case.”
Foster tells 47 ABC she has spoken to her 4 year-old niece Colette about exactly what happened that night of the murder and her story mirrors the information in the indictment. All four of Keisha Hamilton’s children are now in therapy to help them deal with this loss.
