From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — The man charged with abuse of a corpse in connection to the death of a Trussville woman has been granted bond by a Jefferson County judge.
Judge Thomas E. Thrasher set Fredrick Hampton’s bond at $15,000. Hampton will be electronically monitored and must stay at his residence.
“This court has reviewed the past Criminal History of this defendant and found that this defendant could receive a LENGTHY SENTENCE if convicted of this crime,” the judge said in an order. “In addition this court is aware that this defendant has a pending SORNA VIOLATION in the Birmingham Division of Jefferson County. This court received additional information that this defendant left the State without the permission of his Probation Officer to avoid arrest in this case. Because of the aforementioned the added condition of electronic monitoring shall be added.”
Hampton, 50, of Brighton, is charged with abuse of a corpse after Paighton Houston’s body was found buried behind a Hueytown home. Investigators said they have reason to believe Houston was in the company of the suspect on the night of Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, the last night she was seen.
Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates said that toxicology reports in the death of Houston revealed that she died of an accidental drug overdose. The cause of death was determined to be Morphine and methamphetamine toxicity and the manner of death was determined to be accidental.
Hampton is a convicted sex offender, and he has previous convictions for first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy, among other charges, according to court documents. The rape and sodomy case, from 1992, was out of Jefferson County. Hampton was released from prison in 2012 and was later arrested for violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which he pleaded guilty to. He was given a two years suspended sentence for that charge.
Hampton has a preliminary hearing on March 30.
