Friday April 19th, 2024 10:15AM

Man faces five murder counts in shooting

By The Associated Press
<p>A man accused of fatally shooting a woman through a window as she slept with her husband and child now faces five counts of murder.</p><p>A Whitfield County grand jury has indicted Jeff Hampton on one count of murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal damage to property in the first degree, one count criminal damage to property in the second degree and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.</p><p>Tara Nicole Swilley, 26, was shot once in the head as she slept in the early morning hours of Aug. 2. Her husband and baby were in the bed beside her, law enforcement officials said.</p><p>Each murder count on the indictment alleges a different way prosecutors say a jury could find Hampton guilty of Swilley's murder, according to District Attorney Kermit McManus.</p><p>Investigators with the sheriff's office said they believe Swilley's father, businessman Buddy Parker, was the intended target in the shooting. Parker was out of town the night of the shooting, they said.</p><p>Hampton, who had done odd jobs for Parker several years ago, was denied bond last month by Superior Court Judge Jack Partain.</p><p>Even if Hampton was found guilty of all five counts, he could only be sentenced for one, McManus said. If convicted of murder, Hampton would face a life sentence.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2865780)</p>
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