Hamlin family told to stay cool as second murder defendant appears in court
The mother of homicide victim Anthony Hamlin broke down in New London Superior Court Monday afternoon when she saw, for the first time, one of the two men charged with his beating death in 2006.
Darlene Hamlin saw Christopher P. Vincenti, 32, of 109 Niles Road, Apt. A., New London, as he was arraigned on a charge of felony murder. Vincenti was arrested Friday by state police.
Timothy Johnson, 32, of 495 Laurel Hill Road, Norwich, had been arrested on Oct. 6 and arraigned a day later, but Darlene Hamlin had been unable to attend his initial court appearance.
Hamlin had traveled from her home in New Jersey for Monday's arraignment and sat near the front of the Broad Street courthouse with family members. When a judicial marshal led Vincenti out of the lockup area, one of Hamlin's sisters shouted, "There's the murderer!"
Vincenti, a 2002 graduate of East Lyme High School, wore a red prison jumpsuit and handcuffs. He stood with attorneys Ronald F. Stevens and Christopher Morano during the brief proceeding. Vincenti had been working as an electrician, according to bail commissioner Timothy Gilman, who said he had no criminal record but has had mental health issues and substance abuse problems.
Darlene Hamlin sobbed and fled the courtroom as Judge Kevin P. McMahon told the victim's family they would have to stay cool because they would be seeing Hamlin's accused killer often as his case moves through the court system.
"I thought I could handle it," Darlene Hamlin said later. "But when I saw him, I flashed back to the fact that he was the last one who saw my son's face."
Hamlin was last seen near Union Station in downtown New London on Jan. 27, 2006. He had accepted a job as a surveyor's assistant in Virginia and was planning to leave on the 11 p.m. train.
Hamlin's body was discovered in a field adjacent to 448 Shewville Road in Ledyard. He died from blunt force trauma to the head, and his killers left him face down and naked in a former horse pasture.
For more than 10 years, the family wondered who could have killed Hamlin. They said they had never heard of the two men who have been charged and that they continue to have a lot of unanswered questions.
The arrest warrant affidavits detailing the case against Vincenti and Johnson remain sealed except to court officials, but Judge McMahon said both men appeared to have cooperated with the state police investigation in recent weeks.
Morano said Vincenti had gone to the state police barracks and given a DNA sample one day, and had turned himself in on Friday after learning there was a warrant for his arrest.
Johnson's attorney, Bruce McIntyre, said at Johnson's Oct. 7 arraignment his client had met with state police and given them a statement, then returned to the barracks when he learned the major crime squad had obtained a warrant.
The cases will now be heard in the Huntington Street court where major crimes are tried. David J. Smith has been assigned to prosecute the case. Judge Hillary B. Strackbein will preside over pretrial proceedings.
Johnson is due in court on Tuesday. Vincenti's next court date is Nov. 1. Both men are being held in lieu of $1 million.
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