Fall River Man Stabs Woman 22 Times, Gets Over 35 Years in Prison

A Brutal Attack and the Consequences

In a shocking case of violence, a man from Fall River has been sentenced to 38 to 40 years in prison for stabbing a woman 22 times in January 2021. Derrell Hampton, 33, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and mayhem. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing last week after the case was set to go to trial on Monday.

Details of the Attack

On January 21, 2021, a tow truck driver discovered a severely injured 35-year-old woman inside her car in the Walmart parking lot in Fall River around 8:45 p.m. The woman and much of her car were covered in blood, and her left eye was protruding from its socket. The tow truck driver immediately called 911, and first responders rushed her to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. She had been stabbed 22 times and ultimately lost her left eye and part of one of her thumbs.

The victim has been permanently injured as a result of this attack and is completely dependent on others for care. The district attorney’s office highlighted the severity of the injuries, emphasizing the long-term impact on the woman's life.

What Happened That Night

Police obtained a search warrant for the woman’s car and recovered her cellphone and a straight blade knife from inside it. Security video from the Walmart parking lot showed a man wearing a dark-colored hat with a light-colored pompom being picked up by the woman at approximately 8 p.m. The woman’s car could then be seen moving, suddenly stopping, driving in circles, and finally stopping in the location where it was found by the tow truck driver.

The man in the pompom hat was shown running away from the car toward Quequechan Street shortly before 8:15 p.m. Police found a blood trail on the sidewalk of Quequechan Street that led onto the Quequechan River Rail Trail and a pair of winter gloves with blood inside them in a trash can close to the trail’s entrance. Additional security video showed the man in the pompom hat at the intersection of Pine and Rock Streets around 8:50 p.m.

The video did not show any other people near the woman’s car before it was found by the tow truck driver. Police obtained a search warrant for the woman’s cell phone, which revealed texts with an unknown person from the night of the attack in which they agreed to meet up in the Walmart parking lot. At 7:25 p.m., the person asked the woman over text whether they should begin walking to the lot to meet her, to which she replied yes.

How the Perpetrator Was Identified

A Fall River detective identified Hampton as the attacker by linking the text message account to an email account registered to Hampton. Hampton was listed as living at a home on Rock Street in Fall River. On February 3, 2021, the detective saw Hampton wearing the pompom hat worn by the suspect outside his Rock Street apartment. Hampton also had a large wound on his left hand.

After obtaining the relevant search warrants, police seized two cell phones from Hampton’s apartment, as well as the pompom hat worn by the suspect. A review of the phones revealed a Google Maps walking path from the night of the attack consistent with the movements of the suspect and a photo of Hampton wearing the hat.

DNA testing determined that Hampton’s DNA was present in a blood stain found on the Quequechan River Rail Trail. It also revealed that the woman’s DNA was present on the pompom hat found in Hampton’s apartment.

The Court's Response

“This is one of the worst acts of violence against a person that I have ever seen,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III in the release. “The 40-year sentence imposed by the court is what had to happen based upon the brutality of the defendant’s actions.”