Double murderer gets 30-to-life

SANDUSKY — A Georgia man learned his fate on Thursday for the murder of a pregnant woman last February. Toldrick M. Griffin, Jr., 20, of Rochelle, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 30 years to life plus six to nine years in prison. He was convicted of murdering Sha'Coria Hamilton, 19, who was pregnant at the time, in a home in the 1100 block of Perry St. The murder occurred early Feb. 10. Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Binette handed down the six-to nine-year sentence for one count of felonious assault. He sentenced Griffin to 15-to-life for each of the two counts of murder. Binette then ordered those sentences to be served consecutively. Victim impact The court received seven victim impact statements. Two of them were read aloud in court. Hamilton's mother, Marshander Hamilton, provided an emotionally charged statement. "I wish you hadn't taken my baby from me," Marshander said. She read a text message she received from Griffin while incarcerated in Erie County Jail. In the message, Griffin reportedly told Marshander that he hoped she burned in hell "with that (expletive)," referring to Sha'Coria. "No one knows what it's like to lose a family member to a violent crime until it happens to them," Marshander said. She said that Sha'Coria always asked her for a car. After graduating, Marshander was able to get Sha'Coria a car, but she never got to see it. She was killed less than a week after Marshander obtained the vehicle, she said. "Sha'Coria is loved and missed," Marshander said. "I miss my baby." The defense speaks Griffin's attorney, John Hirschauer, asked Binette impose his client's sentences concurrently — to run at the same time — as opposed to consecutive sentences, which run one after another. He also asked, for the purposes of sentencing, to merge the two murder counts into one. Hirschauer said the acts concerned the same conduct and the same motivation. While offering the victim's family condolences, Hirschauer called the crime a true tragedy. He said Griffin was a private first class in the Marine Corps, led a law-abiding life up to that act and did not have any previous criminal convictions. "This event is an outlier," Hirschauer said. Griffin's mother then spoke on behalf of her son. She said she sent her deepest condolences to the family of the victim, saying she was so sorry this happened. Griffin's father, Toldrick Griffin Sr., also spoke. "I never met your daughter," Griffin Sr. said, referring to Sha'Coria. "I'm sure she was lovely." "I'm so sorry," he added. "That's all I can say." Sentencing The judge determined that consecutive sentences were necessary to protect society and appropriately punish Griffin. In considering factors leading to sentencing, Binette said Griffin had to be told to stop contacting the victim's family while in jail. Griffin reportedly responded that he would keep contacting them because he was a man and makes his own decisions. Binette also mentioned Griffin allegedly assaulting three jail guards during two incidents. The separate indictments covering those assaults were dismissed as part of Griffin's plea agreement. That did not stop Binette from considering those actions while determining sentencing. Referring to the several-hundred-page presentence investigation, Binette said Griffin reportedly made admissions to investigators that he was upset that Hamilton was considering an abortion. "What's ironic here is that you were mad that she was talking about getting an abortion, (then) you killed the child by your violence," Binette said. In handing down the sentence, Binette said Griffin attempted to control Hamilton's life, which included changing her cellphone number so her family could not contact her. He also noted that Griffin showed no genuine remorse. In October, Griffin pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault, according to court records. In exchange for his plea, one additional count of murder was dismissed as well as one count each of tampering with evidence, grand theft of a motor vehicle and obstructing official business. Two other cases were also dismissed as part of the plea. Those cases involved three counts of assault, which were elevated to felonies because the victims were local correctional facility employees. What happened At about 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers found a broken-down vehicle on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) in the Perkins Township-Huron Township area. Griffin allegedly fled from the vehicle on foot. He was located by troopers shortly thereafter. While interviewing with troopers at an area patrol post, they linked this vehicle to someone who lived in the 1100 block of Perry St. Troopers then contacted Sandusky police, who visited the property, entered this home and found Hamilton dead. With a search warrant, police removed evidence from this home. They then interviewed Griffin who reportedly made "admissions about what happened at the residence, including an argument with the female," Sandusky police Chief Jared Oliver said previously, noting the Erie County prosecutor's office agreed with a murder charge.