The Death of Police Chief Robert Hamrick

[scm80]

Hi there, I'm a new poster.

The is one case that has been on my mind recently. This is a case that I saw about twelve years ago. I saw it earlier this year and taped it. This case bothers me.

To refresh your memory, Robert Hamrick was a Police Chief in the little town of Rock Creek Ohio in the late 1960s. The town had a violent street gang. When Hamrick had a few of them busted, he began to receive threatening phone calls.

On January 10, 1970, Bob was involved in a highspeed chase when contact was lost. When they located him, his car appeared to have hit a tree. He was semi-concious. Soon after he died. His death was ruled an accident, but it just doesn't add up.

His service revolver and stick were missing. The car's lights and engines were turned off. How can someone who can hardly move turn his lights and engine off but not radio for help?

It's really a sad case.

[Kane]

I remember that case, and I agree that some of the details don't add up. It doesn't make sense that a semi-conscious person who could barely move would turn off the ignition, but not radio for help. There is enough info to point to murder.

I have no doubt that members of the Rock Creek gang were involved. Besides, one resident, whose face was obscured on camera during the UM interview, said that she once overheard some of the gang members boasting about having killed Robert Hamrick.

[AVERMAN]

I also believe Hamrick was murdered, most likely by the gang members. What happened to the gang afterwards? Is there any news regarding this story?

[kadrmas15]

Well I am sure the gang eventually left town. I have no doubt they were the ones behind Hamrick's murder. I dont know if they necessarily intended to kill him or if they just wanted to rough him up to scare him to get him to quit his job and leave town and it just got out of hand. I mean afterall before Hamrick they had forced out two other chiefs of police in less than a year. Hamrick was a guy that couldnt be bullied into leaving, it was clearly getting to him the threats the gang was making and stuff but it seemed like it made him more determined to bust them and destroy the gang. I am still just surprised not a single person would come forward to rat these guys out. They have had 37 years of freedom and are walking aroud living their lives knowing they killed a respected and loved family man and police chief. I dont know if it was their intention to actually kill him but that is what happened. I do think going into it some of the people involved probably thought they would just rough him up some and then when they were beating on him it just got out of hand.

[Huskerz85]

This is one of those cases that makes my blood boil........

Local Police & the Sheriff's dept. should've opened a crate of shotguns and rode those dirtbags all out of town, threatening to arrest them on trespassing charges if they came back.

There weren't enough brave men to do the job though, save for Robert Hamrick and it got him a crushed skull, courtesy of some white trash bikers (no, I don't for one second believe the convoluted 'accident' theory........).

Those same degenerates, if not already dead from drugs or whatever else, are probably living comfortable middle class lives in the same area, just grinning to themselves about "how we done got away with it....."

[kadrmas15]

Yes, I dont believe that it was an accident either. I certainly dont believe his injuries were caused from the accident, the scene was a phony set up. IT was horrible what happened to Hamrick, he was a man who obviously loved his job and who cared deeply about the community he lived in and making it a safer place to live. Yes, the ones that are not dead I am sure are living comfortable, middle class lives and could be your next day neighbors and you would never know what they were involved in. I wish we could bring them to Justice but everyone seemed so terrorfied of these guys no one would talk.

[rk]

...police brutality never seems to be applied to the right people.

If ever there was a case for two dozen cops from out of town to ride in, round up key members of the gang, and beat the s... out of them til someone talks, this would have to be it, wouldn't it?

Must just be haunting for that family.

[dynoguy88]

I agree with you all. It bugs the hell out of me to know that those idiot gang members got away with this. Even after the evidence was noted, Hamrick's death was STILL ruled an accident?

Let's say for a second that it was just an accident. He's run into a tree, he's barely conscious, he obviously needs help. The first thing he would do is call for help or backup, not turn off the engine and headlights.

Why was there not much follow up to the car one of the gang members stole in order to set this whole chase up? Surely it could be proven. The car was identified, it was a mess the next day and needed a tire changed. The woman who actually owned the car brought it in the day before and was surprised that it needed to be kept there over night.

Maybe the segment left out some more information. I would hate to think these gang members were not even questioned after this whole thing happened.

[kadrmas15]

Well I think this case is another example of these small town bullies thinking they are just the king of the crop. It was obvious to me that many in town were just terrorfied of these guys and wouldnt say anything against them out of fear. It kind of reminds me with how people behaved about the motorcycle gang in the Gus Hoffman case. It was where even people in the gang were terrorfied of the leader. When he died people's lips suddenly started moving. I think with the case of Hamrick I think even the police were afraid of the gang and really wanted to avoid dealing with them or doing anything to tick them off so they didnt do much investigation into Hamrick. It is quite sad. Hamrick as I have said before, seemed like a good man who just wanted to make his community safer and do his job and he wasnt intimdated by the gang and in fact them being the way they were towards him made him more determined to do his job and do it well. Unfortunatly it ended him costing him his life because the gang couldnt run him out of town like they had his predecessors. So they tried running him out of town with threats and vandalism and when that didnt work they decided to kill him. The last straw it seems is when they did that sting on the gang and they were furious with Hamrick and decided he had to go. They then came up with a clever, pre meditated scheme of luring him out to the country, running him off the road to make it look like an accident and then killing him. Just terrible and very sad. I remember watching that segment, this will sound corny but honestly it really bothered me even though it was a segment because just picturing those motorcycle creeps beating the chief all because he was doing his job. It is awful.

[khamrick]

i am the son of police chief hamrick and um left out alot the men are still living in the area one just died in tenn. and it took 2 mo. for some one to claim the body if your interested in the hole story uncut raw truth watch for my book if i can find a publisher yuo can email me if you have qustions cheif hamrick@yahoo.com

[mphs95]

Okay, I'm having random thoughts while I am packing up my apartment to move downstate.

I believe Chief Hamrick was murdered....no doubt about it. A weird thought that came to mind was what if he was NOT murdered by the Rock Creek Gang?

What if he saw something on that last call that he should not have seen or fairly recently? It could have been from people who had nothing to do with the RCG or are involved peripherally, and needed to keep their involvement, either in the RCG or in other dirty stuff, on the DL. Perhaps someone locally prominent?

As for the bragging by the members, the Chief was their main enemy. They could have been blowing smoke to make themselves look badder than they were.

Like I said, these are random thoughts. Have to think of something while I'm packing up crap for Goodwill! LOL. Let me know what you all think, fellow UM-philes.

[khamrick]

well you are right one of the men involed was the nephew of the sheriff oh and there was alot drugs being brought through rock creek and sent out in stolen high end sports cars this county is always been run on the good ol boy system we have only had four sheriff's elected in 58 years any qustions or coments email me @ cheifhamrick@yahoo.com

[unsolvedmysteriesfan]

Please do let us know if you release the book.

[2009Challenger]

Just saw this re-broadcast today. I live about 20 miles from Rock Creek. In fact, until the late 1970's, my family had lived there since the 1840's or 1850's. Three of the family homes from the 1850's still stand at the Grand River on Shaffer Road. I was very young at the time of this murder, and do not recall hearing family members discuss this. On what road did this "accident" happen?

[2009Challenger]

I also heard stories of biker gangs terrorizing nearby Geneva-On-The-Lake during the 60's and 70's. Wonder if there's any connection.