True Crime Researchers
Suspicious Death
Status: Open

Paighton Laine Houston

Last Seen:December 21, 2019
Discovered:January 03, 2020
Age at the Time:29
Paighton was well loved and this is a message about her from her family: "She was a child of God, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, a cousin and a friend. She was full of life and laughter and could light up a room. She loved big and with her whole heart."

Paighton Houston went missing on December 20, 2019, after allegedly leaving a bar with two males. Her body was found on January 3, 2020.

It's hard to imagine a more haunting text to get from someone who has gone missing than "idk who im with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble." That was the last text that Paighton sent, to a co-worker, before she went missing. She had gone to the bar with a group of co-workers but allegedly left with two heavy-set, black males. Her body was found in a shallow grave on January 3rd.

If you have any information on this case, please contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department or Crime Stoppers at (205) 254-7777.

Suspect

Fredrick Hampton

Ethnicity:African American
Sex:Male
Height:5' 11"
Weight:180 lbs.
Eye Color:Brown

Frederick is a registered sex offender, with a prior conviction including "Offender along with 7 other men Committed Rape 1st and Sodomy 1st on an adult female." The warrant is currently for "abuse of a corpse", related to Paighton's burial. He was arrested on January 29, 2019, in Ohio.

Events

  1. Paighton joins some co-workers at the Tin Roof Bar

    The bar has video surveillance and is helping with the investigation.

  2. She leaves, allegedly "willingly with two heavy-set black males"

    This information was shared with Peighton's family, but was not corroborated by police reviewing the bar video.

  3. The Trussville Police Department gets information on a possible location of her remains

    Investigators were at the home and discovered what appeared to be a shallow grave. They suspended the search around 9:30pm, posting officers to preserve the scene.

  4. Investigators arrived at the house at 9 a.m. and the transport van left the scene with the remains shortly before 1 p.m.

    Human remains were found during the search and were later confirmed to be that of Paighton Houston.

  5. Police announce warrant for Fredrick Hampton for abuse of a corpse

    Frederick is not currently being charged with her death, but for burying her. He was held on December 28th for suspicion of kidnapping, but was released two days later. As of January 16, he is at large.

Places of Interest

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1

Tin Roof Bar

The bar where Peighton went with co-workers and was last seen

2

A shallow grave

The unoccupied home where Peighton was buried, in a "shallow grave"

Watch

Body found in backyard identified as missing Alabama woman Paighton Houston

A short news clip, confirming the location of where Peighton was found.

Read

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