In the late summer of 2016, the small community of Vancleave, Mississippi, was rocked by the violent death of one of its own. Eric Wendell Hampton, a 39-year-old man, was fatally shot on the evening of August 22nd. Born in Biloxi, Hampton was described by his mother as a fun-loving individual who enjoyed singing and rapping. He had recently moved back in with his parents in Vancleave.
He was a father of three children, though he was separated from his wife at the time of his death.
The events that led to Hampton's death unfolded at a home on McGregor Road, where a group of men had gathered to drink. Among them was Mose Ben Wells, a 57-year-old man who was a distant relative of Hampton; the two referred to each other as cousins. Tensions between Hampton and Wells had reportedly been simmering for several days. On the night of the shooting, Hampton had brought beer and vodka to share, having recently been paid for some lawn-mowing work.
According to Hampton's mother, the fatal conflict arose after her son, who had been drinking with the others, assisted the intoxicated homeowner by placing him on a couch at the man's request. It was at that moment that Wells allegedly shot Hampton in the back with the homeowner's gun. Despite being shot, Hampton was able to give a thumbs-up to the homeowner who had rolled him over, but he later died from his injuries at a local hospital.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Mose Ben Wells was arrested and charged with murder. Hampton's mother recounted a prior incident where Wells had allegedly drawn a knife on her son, and she had warned him to stay away from the house. She also shared that her family had previously taken Wells in when he was homeless, but had to ask him to leave after he 'tried to take over.' The killing left a mother questioning the senseless violence that took her son's life.
