From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BESSEMER — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant in connection to the case of Paighton Houston, on Thursday.
Fredrick Hampton, 50, of Brighton, is facing a charge of abuse of a corpse, a Class C felony. He will be held on a $60,000 bond. The warrant was obtained on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
SEE RELATED STORY: Man charged in connection to case of Paighton Houston
The brother of Houston, Landon Houston, has been made aware of the charge.
“It is our hope that this is the beginning of getting to the truth and seeking justice for Paighton,” said Landon Houston.
The suspect, 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.
According to Alabama Code 13A-11-13, abuse of a corpse crime means a person “knowingly treats a human corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.”
If convicted, a person charged with abuse of a corpse would be sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Houston’s body was recovered from a shallow grave in Hueytown, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. She was last seen at Tin Roof in Birmingham, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, according to police.
Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates said toxicology results are partially complete but that information will not be released until all tests are completed in 4 – 6 weeks.
The sheriff’s office will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m.
The Trussville Tribune will be there and will stream the press conference live on Facebook.