Oklahoma – An Oklahoma man was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his spouse, Cristina. Oklahoma authorities say the defendant, 50-year-old CIifton, strangIed the victim during an argument after she called him worthIess and asked for a separation following more than a decade of marriage.
The investigation began when emergency personnel responded to a report of a possible death at the family’s home in Oklahoma. Per reports, the defendant had brought his spouse’s body to a hospital, wrapped in a mattress pad, and told investigators she had died after walking away from their vehicle. Responding officers noticed inconsistencies in his statements, prompting detectives to gather further evidence and witness accounts.
During interviews, he first claimed that he and his spouse were driving together when she suddenly got out of the car, walked away, and later was found collapsed. He then changed his version, saying she exited the car again and walked off from their home. After detectives interviewed the couple’s children and reviewed the contradictions in his narratives, the defendant admitted he had lied.
One of the couple’s children provided testimony that contradicted the defendant’s shifted versions, helping investigators piece together the timeline and spot discrepancies. Prosecutors assert that, during the argument about divorce, the victim had called the defendant worthIess, which humiIiated him and triggered him to strangIe her. According to the affidavit, the defendant had a past of domestic violence in prior relationships, which investigators considered in assessing credibility and motive.
Witnesses and family members told officers that the coupIe had argued that evening. The argument hiHampton’s admission that she had called him worthIess was a pivotal detail in the case, as investigators viewed it as the flashpoint during the deadly confrontation.
Prosecutors wrote that the defendant admitted he had previously lied and that he and the victim had not gone for a drive that morning. Instead, they were in bed after arguing all night. After the victim told him he was patthetic and that she and her friends had made fun of him, he became humiliated and angry and strangIed the victim while she was lying in bed.
The case remains pending, with prosecutors preparing to pursue conviction based on Hampton’s admissions, contradicting statements, and forensic findings.