The Murder of Isabella Stroupe

Warning: The details of this homicide are disturbing. 

Last week, police were called to an apartment off Albemarle Road, where inside - they found the body of 19-year-old Isabella Stroupe. 

Isabella Mary Alexander Stroupe

Her boyfriend, Thomaz Hamilton, called 911 saying she stopped breathing.

According to court records - police found her in the apartment with minimal clothing and bound to the bed with a towing strap. There were multiple injuries on her body. 

Hamilton told police the two were having sex when Isabella had a suspected heart attack.

But the medical examiner did an autopsy, ruled it a homicide and said Isabella suffered multiple broken and fractured bones and stab wounds -- and that Isabella was likely being tortured over a period of several months. 

The medical examiner said she would not have been able to consent to sex

Thomaz Hamilton was arrested and charged with rape and first degree murder. 

While searching the apartment, CMPD found a knife wrapped in cellophane with suspected blood, a baseball bat, sword, and broken cell phones. A blood stained mattress & clothes were also found.

Hamilton will have another court hearing on May 2, 2006, and for now will be held without bond.

CMPD Affidavit:

On 05/01/2026 at approximately 0335 hours, Hickory Grove officers were dispatched to the QT located at 6721 Albemarle Road. The caller, Thomaz Kenon Hamilton (Hamilton) (B/M, 02/22/2002), advised that the victim (his girlfriend), Isabella Mary Alexandria Stroupe (Stroupe) (W/F, 10/30/2006), stopped breathing. 

Hamilton advised that Stroupe was at their residence located at 6627 Yateswood Drive, Apartment E. Officers and Medic arrived at the apartment and located Stroupe inside the residence. Medic 68 (Alerand Partow, 11672) pronounced Stroupe deceased at 0343 hours. 

Homicide and Crime Scene were requested and responded to the scene.

Detectives conducted search of Hamilton's residence, pursuant to search warrant. Inside, detectives and Crime Scene located Stroupe in bedroom with minimal clothing and bound with tow strap. Multiple injuries were noted on Stroupe. The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office was contacted and Stroupe was transported for an autopsy. 

A search of the residence revealed knife wrapped in cellophane with suspected blood, baseball bat, sword, multiple cell phones (some broken apart), clothing with suspected blood and mattress with suspected blood.

Detectives conducted voluntary interview with Hamilton. Hamilton advised that he was in dating relationship and lived with Stroupe. 

Hamilton advised that during the incident, he was using his penis to have vaginal intercourse with Stroupe when she had suspected heart attack. Hamilton advised detectives that no one else lived in the apartment and no one else was present at the time of the incident.

On 05/04/2026, detectives were contacted by forensic pathologist with the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office. Detectives were advised that Stroupe's cause of death was homicide and that she had multiple injuries including broken and fractured bones and stab wounds. Detectives were also advised that Stroupe was being tortured over period of several months and that Stroupe would have been physically unable to provide consent for vaginal sexual intercourse.

Based on the above facts and circumstances, there is probable cause to believe that First-Degree Murder and

First-Degree Rape occurred and that Thomaz Kenon Hamilton (B/M, 02/22/2002) committed those offenses.

Heard On The Street

Officer I Surrender 

And then there's this.....

   

Props to "The Desirable Truth" for going where no man dared go before......

Charlotte Police Officer Robert L. Smith Park

The City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and CMPD honor our fallen Police Officers in many ways.

One of those is Officer Robert L. Smith - EOW January 15, 1987.

A name and a date many of us were not aware of, from nearly forty years ago.

At the time Charlotte was a far different place. City leadership later felt that naming a park in his honor was a just and right thing to do.

The Richard L Smith Park located at 1604 Little Rock Road is in a growing area of Charlotte known by some as Paw Creek, and the area is rapidly changing.

Due partly to the success of The River District and the nearby White Water Center. Suddenly apartments and new homes are popping up everywhere.

In October of last year Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation announced plans to add "pickleball courts" to the park in addition to the already under construction Paw Creek greenway project.

The artist rendering of the property is awesome.

But notably absent is any explanation of the Park's namesake or the small granite memorial and plaque in his honor located at the head of the parking lot. 

While the memorial is not noted on the site plans or artist's rendering of the improvement project, the "existing restrooms" and nearby play ground equipment however are noted.

The small memorial next the restrooms and picnic pavilion is in good shape, yet it could use a cleaning and the photo placed behind a small plastic cover and all but dissolved.

It is a simple memorial and the inscription below his photo written by a 9 year old is simply wonderful.

MY FRIEND ROBERT

ROBERT A GREAT FRIEND I HAD. 

AND WITHOUT HIM IT IS SO SAD.

WHIEN I HEARD WHAT HAD HAPPENED 

JUST A FEW DAYS AGO 

I KNEW HE STILL HAD A LONG LIFE TO GROW.

IN OUR THOUGHTS HE IS STILL THERE.

SO IN OUT HEARTS WE SHOULD STILL CARE.

ROBERT MADE THIS WORLD SO BRIGHT.

AND WOTHOUT HIM IT IS SUCH A UNHAPPY SIGHT.

BUT JUST THEINK OF IT AS ROBERT GOING AWAY 

AND YOU WILL SEE HIM AGAIN SOMEDAY.

AUTHOR RENEE REIDELL

WITITEN WHEN 9 YEARS OLD

Over the last two weeks CP has reached out to County Commissioners, CMPD, FOP and Park and Recreation staff. 

Asking about the park's construction progress both Park and Rec staff and Meck County Commissioners were quick to respond, but my follow up about the Officer Smith Memorial and photo was met with crickets.

I've offered that I have a duplicate photo and would be more than happy to step up to complete the simple task of replacing the photo.

CMPD Officer Robert L. Smith

Privately I'm told that both City and County elected officials and Park and Rec staff are somewhat bothered by the Park's name and apparently believe that the Fallen Officer Memorial Uptown across for the Law Enforcement center is the most suitable place to remember Officer Robert Smith and others.

While there is no formal action to rename the park or remove the memorial apparently they are concerned that my request to replace the faded photo might offend some members of the public. 

CP has also offered to help with the replacement of the photo covered with plastic with perhaps a stainless steel "etched" photo or even a bronze cast image. 

Thankfully on Thursday morning CP was hearing via the "back channel" CMPD Chief Estella D. Patterson had been made aware of the photo and the repair will be handled.

Additionally CP also heard from Mecklenburg Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell who as also expressed her concern.

Additional Background.

Police Officer Robert Louis Smith was shot and killed after he and other officers responded to a report of a man firing a gun into a condo complex at 0110 hours.

During the search for the suspect Officer Smith located him and shined his flashlight on him. When he did this the suspect opened fire with a rifle, striking Officer Smith four times. Other officers responded to the sound of the gun shots and returned fire, wounding the suspect.

The 32-year-old man was taken into custody and sentenced to life in prison plus 60 years, were he remains today.

Officer Smith had served with the Charlotte Police Department for seven years. He was survived by his wife, mother, sister, and two brothers.

He was off duty when he responded to the call.  

Rest Easy Hero.

Cedar Update:

I want to thank a number of people working to address this issue. My hope that someone within CMPD, Meck County, FOP Lodge 9 will step up and fix this Officer's memorial. More ASAP.

Harris Teeter Stabber Charged Denied Bond

Marvina Hardy has now been formally charged in the violent attack of a Charlotte, North Carolina Harris Teeter customer back in March of this year. Thankfully Mecklenburg County District Court Judge Roderick G. Davis denied her bail and so at least for now she will remain behind bars.

Known as the Harris Teeter Stabber Hardy is no stranger to law enforcement she's already spent nearly five years of her life behind bars.  She was last released from prison on April 28, 2025 and terminated from parole on January 23, 2026.

Reading the arrest affidavit it is pretty clear this psycho needs to stay behind bars.  

Photo Courtesy MCSO

Photo Courtesy Flagler County Florida Sheriff's Office 

On 3/18/26 the victim reported that she was attacked by an unknown black female and was stabbed in the chest with knife. 

The victim stated she arrived at the Harris Teeter located at 112 Sharon Amity Road in Charlotte, NC and parked her vehicle. She exited her vehicle and walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle to take her year old son out of the vehicle. 

While she was there, the unknown female approached the victim, calling her "Psycho Bitch," then attempting to stab her approximately 5 times with a knife, stabbing her one time in the chest. The victim stated the suspect got back into her vehicle and drove away. 

The victim stated she was screaming to gain attention for assistance.

The victim stated she is 30 weeks pregnant. The victim was transported to Novant Main due to her injuries. The victim stated she did not know the suspect and had never seen her before.

A witness stated she saw the two females in an altercation and the one female attempting to stab the victim multiple times.

According to video from Harris Teeter the suspect parks in the parking lot at 8:34 am on 3/18/26. She exits her vehicle and walks inside the Harris Teeter. 

                                                  

AI Enhanced Image for Clarity 

She leaves the store and returns to her vehicle at 8:37 am without making any purchases. The victim arrives and parks at 11:16 am. The suspect had remained inside of her vehicle in the parking space from 8:37 am until she backs out of the parking space prior to this incident. 

As the victim exits her vehicle at 11:16 am, the suspect vehicle backs up and pulls behind the victim's vehicle, stopping in the aisle of the parking lot. 

AI Enhanced Image for Clarity

The victim then walked around to the passenger side of her vehicle. 

The suspect stops her vehicle behind the victim's vehicle at 11:16 am. 

The suspect exits her vehicle at 11:17 am and walks towards the victim. 

An altercation occurs and the suspect gets into her vehicle at 11:17 am. The interaction was only 15 seconds. You could see arms swinging by both the suspect and victim. 

As the suspect drives away, the victim shuts the back door to her vehicle from where her son was sitting and goes back around to the driver's side of the vehicle. 

The suspect vehicle turns left out of aisle towards Marshalls and possibly leaves out the exit making right turn onto Sharon Amity Road towards Providence Road.

Upon check of street cameras through RTCC (Real Time Crime Center), the suspect vehicle was located and matched. In these cameras and camera from Harris Teeter showed the suspect vehicle appeared to be Hyundai Sonata. The passenger front hubcap was missing, as well as the rear passenger window was taped up.

Video of the suspect and photos of the vehicle were shared on social media and news outlets.

On 3/27/26 we received information from family member identifying the suspect. James stated that the suspect is Marvina Hardy, and that she is the mother of his grandchildren. He stated he was 100%, no doubt that it was her. 

He stated she lives with her mother in Waxhaw. He stated that days ago, Marvina called her son, Jayvon, and asked him to switch vehicles with her because she got into trouble with her car. He stated her mother is Timothi Ware. He stated that the vehicle she is driving is silver or gray Hyundai Sonata.

Through DMV I was able to locate Marvina Marie Hardy (9/9/85) with an address of 1916 Harrison Park Drive of Waxhaw, NC 28173. I was able to locate Timothi Yvette Lee, also last name Ware (7/24/61) with the same address.

I located two police reports with Waxhaw Police Department in September and November of 2025 where Jayvon Hardy (2/16/06) was associated with silver 2006 Hyundai Sonata (VIN SNPEU46F76H153693). Timothi Lee was also associated with one report.

I compared the suspect photo of the suspect inside Harris Teeter to photo of Marvina Hardy and believe it to be the same person. James named Marvina Hardy as the same person in the photos shared by the news of the suspect inside Harris Teeter. James also stated she drives Hyundai Sonata.

CMPD's Lack of Transparency is Interesting.

Early Tuesday morning local media was reporting of a MVA involving a CMPD Ford Explorer and a four door passenger car, at the intersection of Pineville-Matthews Road and Carmel Road in South Charlotte.

Seemed like a typical late night MVA except it involved a CMPD SUV.

Local news media went on to state that 4 people were taken to the hospital and noted that both vehicles had heavy front end damage. 

News reports on Tuesday morning also stated the there was no word if the Officer involved is one of those injured or the condition of any of those transported.to the hospital.

WSOC Reported the accident as follows:

"Four people were taken to the hospital from a crash involving a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police cruiser in south Charlotte Tuesday morning. It happened just before 3 a.m. at the intersection of Pineville-Matthews Road and Carmel Road. CMPD said everyone involved in the crash was taken to the hospital. According to MEDIC, three of those people have serious injuries."

But later in the day the story changed. Then it was "Two people were injured following two crashes involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police cruisers in south Charlotte early Tuesday, officials said."

The local media when on to say "The first crash happened at the intersection of Carmel Road and Pineville-Matthews Road around 2:30 a.m. According to the incident report, the driver of a stolen vehicle rammed into a CMPD cruiser. Investigators said no one was hurt in this collision. 

(Interesting that the first reports had that four people were injured.)

The local news report continued with: "A short time later, another driver crashed into a CMPD patrol vehicle directing traffic. The officer inside the vehicle was treated and released, according to police. Two people inside the car that crashed into the CMPD cruiser suffered minor injuries in the wreck."

Keep in mind none of this was widely reported or appeared via Atlas One or social media. CMPD's Newsroom Press Releases are also void of any mention of these two accidents.

Now the Charlotte Observer is leading this story with "Details Remain Murky"

So the question is what is going on here? We all had become accustom to Rodney Monroe's shady and murky management style but we thought or at least some of us thought that BS left with his hasty departure in 2015.

So what is up with this?

Concord Triple Murder Facts Scarce (Redux)

This case from 12 years ago gives a good idea why North Carolina's justice system is failing us. Darryl Anderson killed 3 white women in 2014 and received 3 consecutive life sentences.

Yet there are liberals that think his sentence is unjust and far too harsh.

Anderson has nearly a dozen convictions and should not have be out of prison in 2014 but the "fair felons act" gave him a second chance and he was released from prison in 2011.

A year later 2012 he was convicted of child abuse and should have been returned to prison, he wasn't. 

Investigators say Darryl Anderson shot and killed three women in Concord during the Wednesday February 12, 2014 snow storm.

 

Darryl Anderson

Sharon McKenzie Cox

One of the victims Sharon McKenzie Cox age 52 was the mother of Jessica Cox age 25 the estranged girlfriend of Anderson who he also shot and killed.

Jessica Cox Courtesy Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office

Jessica Cox was shot and killed inside her home at a Concord, North Carolina trailer park. She was the mother of 3 Anderson's children

According to WBTV and other sources Sharon Cox and Jessica Cox shared a trailer next door to one of Sharon's other daughters Veronica Cox. 

Veronica Cox Courtesy Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office 

Apparently an altercation escalated and Anderson shot and killed Jessica Cox, and then turned his gun on Sharon Cox shooting her once. Sharon Cox, though wounded escaped and fled to her daughter Veronica's home next door.

In 2015 Darryl Angelo Anderson, 37, pleaded guilty in the murder of Sheila Serrano, 45, Sharon Cox, 52, and her daughter, Jessica Cox, 25. 

Darryl Angelo Anderson Photo Courtesy of NC DOC

The triple homicide shook the rural Concord, North Carolina community with a level of rage and violence neighbors say they had never witnessed before. 

Anderson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murder of each of the victims. The sentences were boxcar'd to be served consecutively. 

The afternoon of the murders, Anderson shot the women in three different trailers at Cedar Park Estates off Lower Rocky River Road in Concord during the height of a severe winter snowstorm. 

The killings were reportedly the result of a domestic argument. 

Jessica Cox was the daughter of Sharon Cox. Serrano was a neighbor. Jessica Cox left behind three young children, while Serrano left behind a husband and a son 

In a 911 tape, Serrano’s boyfriend told the operator he was in the back of the house and heard Serrano talking to a man. Then he heard gunshots. “He shot through her door and was able to open her door,” he said in the tape. The man said the gunman shot Serrano several times and left on foot. 

EMS personnel arrived to find Serrano lying on the kitchen floor with an apparent gunshot wound. She was later confirmed dead by Cabarrus County EMS units, who rushed to the scene despite snow-covered roads. 

The lone female survivor Veronica Cox told police her mother, Sharon Cox, ran into her bedroom and woke her up, saying she had been shot. 

Veronica ran from the bedroom to the kitchen to get her phone so she could call 911. When she returned to her bedroom, she told police her mother had fallen to the floor, and the gunman was standing over her mother holding a pistol. 

He fired two more shots into Sharon, then aimed the gun at Veronica’s face and said “get out of my way,” 

Anderson fled into the woods but surrendered when police arrived.

Anderson is now 44 and is currently being housed at the Bertie Correctional Institution in close supervision. The 1000 inmates are North Carolina's most violent felons. Violence in a way of life at Bertie those who cope spend their days in single occupant cells they are permitted a one hour exercise period each day and then return to their cells. 

Bertie Correctional Intuition 

Prisoners like Anderson "earn" their way to Bertie by breaking rules and committed acts of violence. The toll drives many to take their own lives.

Jessica Cox and Sharon Cox are buried in Ohio next to Sharon's mother who died in 2009. 

Sadly Veronica Cox died on April 9, 2015 just 2 months after Anderson's sentencing and a day shy of her 26th birthday.  

She was reportedly found at home unresponsive, rushed to CMC Main where she died of an apparent drug overdose. Veronica Cox is buried along side of her mother Sharon and sister Jessica in Ohio.

Darryl Anderson offered no apology at sentencing and has never publicly stated why he killed the women or why he spared Veronica on the fateful day.

Anderson today is held by the North Carolina Department of Corrections at the Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institute. 

                                     

                                                   Darryl Anderson Photo Courtesy NC DOC

He's racked up 25 prison infractions and is apparently far from a model prisoner. But his release from prison under the fair felons act began a chain of crimes that continued for more that a decade and eventually lead up to one of Cabarrus County most horrific crimes.

Mint Hill Woman Claims She Shot Herself Killing Her Baby Husband Arrested

Early Sunday a man and woman got into an argument and she claims she accidently shot herself. Luis Alfonzo Marcano-Marcano is in the Mecklenburg County Jail and his wife who was seven months pregnant is in the hospital. The child she was carrying did not survive the shooting.

Luis Marcano is the subject of an ICE Detainer and Administrative Warrant and will likely be removed from the United States.

LUIS ALFONZO MARCANO-MARCANO Photo Courtesy MCSO

It is not known if his wife Sabrina Campos is a lawful US resident. 

Police have identified Marcano-Marcano as a known member of the Tren de Aragua a violent Venezuela gang.

Here's where it gets crazy. On Monday liberal Mecklenburg County Judge Karen McCallum reduced Marcano's bail from $100,000 to $25,000 bail stating the she was able to determine the Marcano was a lawful resident. She did this despite the court receiving both an ICE Detainer and an Administrative Warrant citing ongoing removal proceedings against the individual and that he "poses risk to national security, border security, or public safety"

According to Court Records that bond was posted Wednesday April, 15th at 11:03 AM. 

As of Wednesday April 15th, 2026 at 15:30 Marcano was still in the custody of the MCSO. 

Meck County Magistrate stated:

SECURE BOND SET BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS BASED ON THE DEFENDANT INTRODUCING FIREARM INTO THE

SITUATION AND LIFE WAS LOST AS RESULT. BECAUSE OF THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THE DEFENDANT IS DANGER

TO THE PUBLIC AND HE ALSO ALLEGEDLY THREW THE WEAPON INTO THE NEARBY WOODS INTERFERING WITH

PENDING INVESTIGATION. MAGISTRATE BELIEVES THAT THE DEFENDANT SHOULD BE HELD WITHOUT BOND, HOWEVER, DO NOT HAVE THE STATUTORY ABILITY TO HOLD THE DEFENDANT AT THIS TIME. LAW ENFORCEMENT ADVISED THAT THE DEFENDANT HAS PENDING WARRANTS IN VENEZUELA

“Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs, and chaos into American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department is crushing their leadership, dismantling their networks, and cutting off their money across the United States. There will be no safe haven here. If you cross our border to commit violent crime, we will find you, prosecute you, and put you away.”

While Marcano may actually be in the US lawfully (Green Card, Travel Visa, or Whatever) his known connections to TdeA is an automatic removal. 

Arrest Affidavit:

On April 12th, 2026 at approximately 0300 hours, MHPD was contacted by Novant Mint Hill, who said 7-month pregnant female arrived to the hospital with gunshot wound to the stomach. The hospital staff said her husband dropped her off and left in red Nissan. 

The female was transported to Novant Main Hospital, where the unborn baby had deceased. After speaking with family members, MHPD were notified that Luis Marcano-Marcano was the husband who dropped his wife, Sabrina Campos off at the hospital. 

Det. Matics spoke with Campos at the hospital, and she told him that she accidentally shot herself with pistol at birthday party at her residence. She said she went to put the pistol in her pocket and accidentally pulled the trigger. 

Officers were able to speak with Luis in the lobby of Novant Main, where he was detained. Luis was transported back to the MHPD where he was interviewed. Luis waived his Miranda Rights and advised that they had birthday party for him last night at the residence. 

He stated once everyone left, it was just him and Sabrina on the back porch. He said there was an argument between them two and he retrieved the pistol and admitted to shooting the ground next to her feet. He said he then placed the pistol on the rail of the back porch, and Sabrina then grabbed the pistol and tried to put it in her pocket and pulled the trigger, shooting herself in the stomach. 

Luis then admitted to dropping her off at the hospital and going back to the house to retrieve the pistol, which he threw into the woods at an unknown location. 

Det. Matics went back to the hospital to speak with Campos, who advised Luis did shoot into the ground. She said she went to grab the pistol because Luis had been drinking and did not want him to get in trouble for shooting more and when she grabbed it to put it in her pocket, she pulled the trigger, subsequently killing her month old unborn baby. 

***Luis Marcano-Marcano is known member of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) ***

Cedar Update:

On Thursday April, 16, 2026 Luis Marcano was transferred to the custody of DHS/ICE and taken to one of dozens of holding centers to be returned to his home country.