Husband guilty in wife's murder
BY MARY PERHAM THE LEADER

ROCHESTER - Moments before the jury delivered its verdict Tuesday, Oct. 30, in Christoph er Hunter's murder trial, he turned and winked at his slain wife's family.

"Then he said, 'Are you ready?'" said Pam Hammond, stepmother of Hunter's estranged wife, Avoca native Melissa Hammond.

The jury then found Hunter guilty of second-degree murder for slashing Melissa Hammond 59 times with a fishing knife in Nov. 2006.

His defense attorney claimed Hunter killed his wife because his life had spiraled out of control.

"He said he just snapped," said Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Jason MacBride. "He'd just lost his job, he was losing his wife." MacBride turned down two pleas by the defense to reduce the charges to first-degree manslaughter.

"There was just too much evidence," MacBride said. "He deserved the maximum. I'm going to see he gets the maximum. This was just brutal."

After three days of testimony it took the jury just 90 minutes of deliberation to return with the guilty verdict, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

The verdict was the beginning of the end of a long nightmare for Hammond's family in the Avoca area.

According to family members, shortly before her death Melissa Hammond filed for divorce after Hunter was released from prison on a felony DWI conviction. Orders of protection also had been issued, the family said.

While in prison, Hunter reportedly wrote letters to both his wife and his mother, Diane Hunter, threatening to hurt his wife if she left him.

Police investigators said Hunter met with Melissa Hammond when she dropped her three sons off at his mother's home in Rochester on Nov. 18, 2006.

The pair went outside to talk, and Hunter attacked his wife. Her screams drew the attention of a man driving by, who later provided key testimony at Hunter's trial, said family members who attended the trial.

Another key witness was Melissa Hammond's brother, Randy Hammond, who identified the fishing knife Hunter used.

Hunter was quickly handcuffed and led away from the emotionfilled courtroom.

"He showed no remorse at any time," MacBride said. "Personally, I think he thought he did what he had to do. He thought she belonged to him and he had every right to do what he did."

Hunter's sentencing by Monroe County Justice Stephen Lindley is set for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 17.

Hammond's family has only memories.

"She was always happy," Victor Hammond said. "She was just always happy."