15-Year-Old Tyfine Hamilton Arrested for Overbrook Murder

His aunt told CBS3 that he was off his meds.

Left: Tyfine Hamilton in a photo from a previous arrest. Right: An array of 2010 images from his Facebook page.

Left: Tyfine Hamilton in a photo from a previous arrest. Right: An array of 2010 images from his Facebook page.

Overbrook High School freshman Tyfine Hamilton has turned himself in to face charges in the murder of 51-year-old Overbrook resident Jim Stuhlman, who was out walking his dog last week when Hamilton allegedly gunned him down.

On Thursday, Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Captain James Clark announced that another 15-year-old Overbrook student, Brandon Smith, was arrested on Thursday and charged with murder and robbery in Stuhlman’s death and that lesser charges were expected soon for an unnamed 14-year-old who was cooperating with the investigation. He is expected to be tried as a juvenile, while the older suspects will be tried as adults. Bail was denied for Smith, and the same is expected for Hamilton.

According to police sources, Hamilton turned himself in early on Friday morning.

CBS3 reports that Hamilton’s aunt told them that he was off his meds at the time of the shooting, though no specific drug or condition was specified. The aunt also apologized to Stuhlman’s family, saying, “You have my deepest condolences. This is never meant to happen. I can’t imagine how you guys feel. We apologize for everything.”

Meanwhile, a man identifying himself as Hamilton’s father told Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Matt Gelb that Hamilton had been living with his mother for a year and that he doesn’t actually show up for classes at Overbrook. “How do I know this?” the father said to Gelb. “The truancy office sends me letters… If he would listen, then he wouldn’t be where he’s at.”

Police say that after a game of basketball nearby on Thursday, March 12th, the trio of teens went looking for a victim to rob. They encountered Stuhlman on Woodcrest Avenue near his home and after a brief struggle, Stuhlman was shot. Police believe Hamilton is the one who pulled the trigger. According to Clark, the two 15-year-olds have “robberies in their backgrounds.”

Stuhlman routinely walked his dog on Woodcrest Avenue in the evening hours, typically with his daughter. But he got a late start that particular day and told his daughter to stay home, perhaps saving her life, according to Clark.

“He said, ‘Please don’t shoot me, please don’t shoot me,'” Clark said, adding that nothing was taken during the robbery gone wrong.

No further arrests are expected. One police detective told Philadelphia magazine that guns found during the search of a home where one or more of suspects reportedly lived appear to be legally registered guns, and so their owners are not likely to face charges, whether or not one of those guns was the murder weapon.