Shraman Mitra
911 operators in Oklahoma City received a frantic call on February 14, 2001, through which Dr. John Hamilton claimed he found his wife, Susan Hamilton, beaten and strangled to death inside their home. Interestingly, the crime scene initially appeared to be a robbery gone wrong, but the police soon uncovered evidence that pointed to deliberate homicide. ‘Dateline: Valentine’s Day’s Mystery’ chronicles the gruesome murder and follows the investigation that led straight to the victim’s husband. Moreover, it even features interviews with several people, including Susan’s ex-husband, Dick Horton. Well, let’s delve into the details surrounding the incident and find out where Dick Horton is at present, shall we?
Who is Dick Horton?
Dick Horton was Susan Hamilton’s first husband, and even though they were divorced at the time of Susan’s murder, Dick was stunned to learn the gory details surrounding her death. Although it is unclear when Dick married Susan, the two settled in Oklahoma City and initially enjoyed a happy married life. Besides, Dick and Susan soon became parents to two wonderful children, who remained on the best of terms with Dick even after the separation. Although people who knew Dick described him as a loving and kind man, who always put his family above everything else, his marriage began deteriorating with time.
Eventually, the two realized that separation was the best course of action. Hence, Dick and Susan confirmed their divorce and moved on with their lives, although they had to remain in touch because of their children. Shortly after separating from Dick, Susan met and got associated with Dr. John Hamilton, a respected obstetrician/gynecologist in the Oklahoma City area. The relationship soon turned romantic, and the couple tied the knot before embarking on a life together. However, she soon heard rumors about her husband’s inappropriate association with one of his patients.
Although Susan did not believe it at first, phone records proved that John spoke for hours on end with the other woman, who turned out to be a stripper. Naturally, this disappointed her, and she even toyed with the idea of leaving her husband. Yet, circumstances forced Susan to change her views, and she was ready to work on their relationship with John. Sadly, before the two could reconnect properly, John found his wife strangled and beaten to death on the bathroom floor on February 14, 2001.
Dick Horton was stunned to learn about Susan’s demise, although he believed John could not have done it as he loved Susan a lot. Moreover, Dick insisted that Susan was the one who wore the pants in the relationship and believed that the patient John had an alleged affair with might have been involved in the murder. On the other hand, John insisted he found Susan after returning from surgery and had even tried to perform CPR on her. However, while the victim was covered in blood, John had almost none on his body, indicating that his statement regarding CPR was a lie.
On top of it, the police found John’s behavior to be quite suspicious as he began clawing at the widow in order to get out after the cops placed him inside a car. Besides, once in the interrogation room, John appeared to check himself for bodily injuries, which was pretty uncharacteristic for someone who had just lost his wife. Further evidence came to light when authorities learned of John’s affair and found two Valentine’s Day cards in the house. They even found traces of the victim’s DNA and blood inside the doctor’s car, which ultimately led to his arrest.
Where is Dick Horton Now?
Dick Horton was relieved once the police arrested John for Susan’s murder and hoped his ex-wife would finally get the justice she deserved. Moreover, he even spoke in favor of the prosecution after John’s conviction and said, “Actually, I think life in prison for someone as intelligent and good up to that point (as Hamilton) would be worse than death. Maybe in some way, that’s justice for Susan.” However, since then, Dick has embraced privacy and prefers to keep his personal life under wraps. Still, from the looks of it, he still resides in Oklahoma, and we wish him the best for the years to come.
Read More: Susan Hamilton Murder: Where Is Dr. John Hamilton Now?
