PALATKA, Fla. — A Putnam County man accused of killing his wife earlier this month as she prepared to leave for work, was indicted by a grand jury Friday morning on first-degree murder, according to a release from the State Attorney's Office.
Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Dunton will prosecute the case for the state, the release states.
What happened in the shooting?
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, 66-year-old Peter Hamilton was arrested after he called the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, notifying them that he had just shot his wife, 64-year-old Tina Hamilton.
Police say Peter called the sheriff's office from their home at 104 Penny Acres Ln. in Welaka on the day of the shooting at 7:57 a.m. Deputies responded and made contact with Peter, who refused to come out of the home, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies and detectives were eventually able to get Peter to come outside, communicating through 911 dispatchers.
The arrest report says Peter got the gun from a bedroom before shooting her at her car. Police say she was dressed for work. First responders were not able to find a pulse in Tina and she died on the scene. Hamilton told police that he shot Tina in the back through her chest with a .38 revolver, according to the arrest report. The arrest report further states that the revolver was found with one live round and one spent shell casing.
"A single gunshot wound was located and appeared to enter slightly off center toward the left side of Tina's back and exited slightly off center toward the left side of the chest," the arrest report states.
Tina's sister told the sheriff's office, according to the arrest report, that Tina used to leave for work at approximately 7 a.m., as her purse and coffee was found inside of her vehicle, supporting the fact that she was about to leave for work. The report also revealed that Tina was dressed in her work attire when she was found shot by police.
PCSO says Peter was determined to be the suspect. Hamilton faces first-degree murder, meaning police believe that the shooting was premeditated.
There was no known documented domestic violence between Peter and Tina prior to the shooting.
"This is a tragic situation for the family and I ask that you keep them in your prayers," Sheriff H.D. 'Gator' DeLoach said in a previous statement. "While there were no documented signs of domestic violence in this case, I would implore friends and families to trust your gut. If you see something off or amiss, let us know. We would rather err on the side of caution than to have life lost."
Family's response
The family of Tina called her death 'shocking and unexpected.'
"She was my best friend. She knew everything about me," Tina Hamilton's son, John Phelps told First Coast News earlier this month. "My mom was very outgoing, very active, she rode horses every weekend."
Tina is described as fun loving, kindhearted and someone who never met a stranger. Phelps says he and his mom had a strong bond.
"It was just me and her," Phelps said. "My dad wasn't around. I talked to her every week. She called me as soon as she got off work and talked to me the whole way home."
Phelps says the last time he talked to his mom was on Halloween and that she was an employee at Haven Hospice in Palatka. He also told First Coast News that Tina and Peter were married for more than 20 years and he didn't see any warning signs.
"He is a very intellectual guy, he's smart as a whip," Phelps said. "None of us ever thought anything could happen, she never thought anything could happen. Two days before, they went bike riding on Sunday and hiking on Monday so, nobody had any clue."
Phelps says his family wants justice.