In the autumn of 2018, the life of 23-year-old Shaun Paul Hamblen of Memphis, Tennessee, was tragically cut short. On November 29, he was last seen leaving an LA Fitness on Poplar Avenue after a workout. He had plans to meet his fiancée and friends for dinner, a simple rendezvous that would never come to pass. When he failed to show, concern grew, and the following day he was reported to the Memphis police as a missing and endangered adult.
The investigation into his disappearance moved
swiftly. Surveillance footage captured Hamblen getting into a Ford Focus, providing a crucial lead. His own car was discovered abandoned near the Oak Court Mall. A tip led police to the Ford Focus, and another grimly pointed them to a vacant house in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. It was there, on December 5, that authorities found Shaun Hamblen's body. He had been shot multiple times.
The investigation revealed that this was not a random act of violence. Hamblen had a prearranged meeting with two men, one of whom he knew. This prior acquaintance may have been the reason he willingly entered their vehicle. The meeting, however, took a fatal turn, ending in robbery and his murder.
Two suspects were quickly identified and taken into custody. Alfonzo Amos, then 21, admitted to his role in the robbery and disappearance of Hamblen. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony, specifically aggravated robbery, as well as first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery. The second man, 22-year-old Deeric Walton, was charged with four counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Police found four guns, one of which was stolen, and marijuana in his possession. Walton had a prior robbery conviction and had recently been released from prison. While Amos admitted to the robbery and the fact that Hamblen was shot, the affidavit did not specify who pulled the trigger.
