In the early morning hours of Sunday, October 23, 2022, the life of 28-year-old Christian Hammock, a Black female and mother of four from West Memphis, Arkansas, was tragically cut short. She was discovered in the passenger seat of a gray Nissan Sentra at a BP gas station, located at the intersection of West Broadway and South Avalon, suffering from a single gunshot wound.
Emergency medical services were called to the scene, but Hammock did not survive her injuries.
The investigation that followed revealed that the shooting had not occurred at the gas station, but rather in the 300-block of West Jefferson. West Memphis Police Department detectives worked multiple scenes to piece together the events that led to the young mother's death. Friends remembered her as a person who was always there to cheer them up and as a loving mother who cared deeply for her family and friends. Her death was described as unjustifiable and left her loved ones in disbelief and mourning.
In the days following the shooting, investigators were able to identify two individuals connected to the homicide. The West Memphis Police Department arrested 18-year-old Caleb Moten and 21-year-old Motique Hill. Both men were charged with capital murder, aggravated assault, and committing a terroristic act. At the time of his arrest, Moten was found in possession of a Glock firearm that had been modified to function as an automatic weapon. The arrests brought a small measure of solace to a community shaken by the violent loss of another young woman.
