Man charged with killing woman who was found lying in a field near a Tacoma church
A 30-year-old man has been charged with killing a woman who was found Saturday morning near a sidewalk.
Darius Trevon Hammond was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with the woman’s death. He was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. A plea of not guilty was entered on Hammond’s behalf at Pierce County Superior Court. He is being held on a $1.5 million bail, court documents show.
Hammond has 11 prior felony convictions including one for second-degree assault from 2020, according to court records.
Charges
A woman was found unresponsive in the 3900 block of North Pearl Street lying in a field near a church around 7:30 a.m. She was pronounced deceased at the scene and identified through a credit card in her pocket. There was a firearm in her pocket registered to the woman but reportedly stolen out of King County, court documents show.
Officers noted a puncture wound on the left side of the woman’s neck. It was later determined to be a possible gunshot wound. There were no other injuries on the woman. There were no shell casings or other weapons located at the scene, prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors wrote that Hammond had a prior relationship with the woman, who had filed domestic violence reports against him, court documents show.
Through surveillance video, detectives saw the woman walking through the parking lot of a gas station south on Pearl Street while carrying a duffel bag. She was allegedly followed closely by a man who is believed to be Hammond at around 5:12 a.m. They kept walking south until they were out of the frame. About 5:28 a.m., the man was seen walking north past the gas station and carrying the same duffel. Hammond was allegedly running north towards his mother’s home, charging documents show.
A gas station employee told detectives he saw the same man from the surveillance inside the gas station the day before the homicide. He was wearing the same outfit from Saturday. A booking photo of Hammond was compared to the gas station footage and detectives believed them to be the same person, prosecutors wrote.
Hammond was located at his mother’s home and arrested that afternoon. Hammond confirmed to detectives that he had a sexual relationship with the woman during the summer. Detectives noted that Hammond was wearing the same colored jeans from surveillance footage as well as similar looking shoes, prosecutors wrote.
Detectives found the duffel bag at Hammond’s mother’s home following a search. The bag contained the woman’s wallet with her ID card and a Chicago sweatshirt, which was similar to the one Hammond was wearing in the footage, charging documents show.
Prosecutors wrote that additional charges may be filed. Hammond is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
