The murder of a beloved St. Lucie County mother shocked the entire community, especially after her own son was accused, arrested but then later released.
Then, a new suspect came to light.
NewsChannel 5 just received has the never before released evidence that only adds to the mystery of exactly what happened.
We never knew exactly what evidence investigators had that led to Kenny Hamners arrest, until now.
His arrest report was finally unsealed and prosecutors have released that and his police interviews.
In one of the video you can see Kenny Hamner sitting down with St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputies, as they tell him he essentially failed a polygraph test related to his mother’s murder.
“I’ve been doing polygraphs since 2000, you scored a negative 21,” said the investigator. “You hit on all the questions regarding the hurting to your mother."
Initially Kenny was the prime suspect in his mother Sheila Hamner's murder. It was shock to many since initially it was reported that both Kenny and his mother were attacked in a random home invasion.
You can see Kenny’s bandaged arm in the interview.
However, maybe the even bigger shock was when he was released, the charges dropped just two months after his arrest with no explanation.
In the arrest affidavit, investigators say Hamner’s story during the interviews didn’t match what he told investigators on scene or the actual evidence or what neighbors say they saw.
A few neighbors reported running over after hearing the screams and seeing Kenny “standing over the victim with a pipe in his hand.”
Though Kenny said he grabbed the object for protection.
However, another neighbor claims he briefly saw Kenny with a knife.
Sheriff Ken Mascara didn’t exactly clear Kenny’s name while announcing the charges against a new suspect Carlos Arellano Ramirez earlier this year.
“We believe that the new evidence supports that yet this third person was there, but initially the physical evidence the eye witness testimony did not support what kenny told us on the scene,” said the sheriff during a news conference.
It’s not clear yet what led investigators to Ramirez. We do know he was already behind bars accused of two other burglaries, one of which Ramirez is accused of having a large knife like a machete.
Prosecutors have also released a lengthy transcript of an interview with Ramirez conducted just a few months after the murder.
Kenny Hamner and his family are maintaining his innocence.
