More details revealed in Demitri Hampton’s murder during arraignment; fourth person, ‘likely’ shooter, ID-ed

A fourth person will face murder charges in the 2013 slaying of Demitri Hampton, the 21-year-old Riverhead graduate who was shot and killed during a home invasion at his Flanders residence.

Messiah Booker, a 27-year-old man who is currently serving time in a maximum security prison upstate on a weapons possession charge, will be arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder and burglary in the first degree in connection with the incident. He likely fired the fatal shot, according to Assistant District Attorney Glenn Kurtzrock.

Hampton was killed on January 27, 2013 when armed burglars burst into his Flanders residence in the middle of the night. He was shot in the chest as he struggled with two masked men, who held his girlfriend and cousin at gunpoint.

Police last week arrested three other people for Hampton’s murder: Michael Parrish, 26, of Coram, Danielle Hall, 39, of Calverton and Corry Wallace, 40, of Riverhead.

(Click to enlarge. From left to right: Parrish, Hall and Wallace)

Hall was the getaway driver during the incident, according to Kurtzrock, while Booker, Wallace and Parrish carried out the home invasion. All three men were armed, Kurtzrock said.

“Based off the evidence collected in the investigation so far, [Booker] likely fired the fatal shot,” he said.

All four are facing charges of murder in the second degree and burglary in the first degree. Because Hampton was murdered during the commission of a felony, all the perpetrators of the felony can be convicted of murder.

If convicted on their murder charges, they could each face between 25 years to life in prison.

Parrish, Hall and Wallace all pleaded not guilty today at an arraignment in Suffolk County Criminal Court. They were all held without bail until their next court appearances, which will be on December 3 and 4.

Booker, who is still incarcerated at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in upstate New York, has not yet been arraigned. He will be arraigned within the next two to three weeks, Kurtzrock said.

Lawyers for both Wallace and Hall today maintained their clients were not involved in the incident that ended in Hampton’s death.

“[Hall] was not involved in these matters, she was not there and she did not commit these crimes,” Daniel Russo, Hall’s attorney, told Justice Richard Ambro at the arriagnment today. “She was only there because others involved were her family.”

Hall, a mother of three who is currently pregnant, told the judge she is “emotionally disturbed.”

Wallace’s lawyer, Rich Stafford, said Wallace maintains he was not involved at all with the burglary or the shooting.

“My client has asserted his innocence from the moment police came into contact with him,” Stafford told Ambro today. “He insists he was nowhere near this incident.”

Despite requests from all three lawyers to set bail for the defendants, Ambro held them without bail until their next court appearances in December. Both Wallace and Parrish have criminal records, including prior failures to appear in court.

Wallace is a convicted felon who had been released from jail on parole five days before Hampton was killed in January 2013.

About half a dozen members of Hampton’s family sat in on the arraignment today to hear the charges. Afterwards, Hampton’s mother, Juanita Trent, told reporters that she and her family “thank God for where we’re at now.”

“This affects so many in this community, not just our family, but these families as well,” she said. “I still believe that this isn’t vengeance.

“Justice has to be served for my son,” she said.

The death of the affable, friendly and funny young man stunned the Riverhead community. Hampton was finishing his final semester at Suffolk County Community College, where he was set to graduate with an associate’s degree in criminal justice, when he was killed.

Hampton’s family had had no new updates from the investigation before detectives called Trent late one night last week to tell her three people had been arrested.

“We are just so thankful to the community for everything they’ve done for us,” Trent said today.

After Hampton’s death, the Riverhead community came together to support his grieving family. A candlelight vigil was held outside Riverhead High School, where Hampton was a popular student who ran track, played basketball and was very active in the school’s anti-violence organization, Council For Unity.

A scholarship was also established in his name for high school students planning to attend Suffolk County Community College.

“We’re so grateful to be a part of Riverhead,” Trent said.

Correction: A previously published version of this story incorrectly stated that Booker, who is incarcerated in an upstate prison, has already been charged. He is not formally charged in this case until he is arraigned, which will happen at a later date.