Grassy Creek murders

Suspect did time in 1978 killing

Authorities plan to question him in two other cases

January 29, 2008

By Monte Mitchell
JOURNAL REPORTER

CRUMPLER

The man charged with three counts of capital murder in last week's killings at a Christmas-tree farm in Grayson County, Va., served prison time after a conviction in the killing of an off-duty Philadelphia police officer in 1978, but was acquitted of the officer's death at a second trial.

Frederic Phillip Hammer, 48, of Crumpler was arrested over the weekend in Florida in connection with the shooting deaths of Ronald Hudler, 74; Hudler's son Fred and employee John Miller Jr. on Thursday.

Authorities consider Hammer a suspect in the disappearance of an Ashe County man a year ago, and also want to question him in connection with the unsolved shooting death of another man in the area.

State and local law-enforcement agents returned Hammer to Grayson County yesterday from Charlotte County, Fla., where he was arrested at his stepfather's home.

Hammer went to Florida on Friday after being questioned around midnight Thursday, said Sheriff Richard Vaughan of Grayson County.

Hammer worked construction jobs at Ronald Hudler's home.

Authorities said they believe that Hammer broke into the safe in a garage at Hudler's home and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, and that Fred Hudler and Miller were killed when they interrupted the burglary. Ronald Hudler heard the gunshots, came outside to investigate and was forced back into the house, where he was killed in his living room.

In November, Hammer was convicted of writing worthless checks and sentenced to probation. Leaving the state without permission was a violation of his probation, and gave officers reason to detain him in Florida.

They took him into custody around 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Punta Gorda, Fla. By 3 a.m. Sunday, they had obtained enough information to seek the capital murder charges, Vaughan said.

He declined to discuss the evidence in the case.

Authorities searched Hammer's home. Officers also searched a camper in Wythe County, Va., over the weekend. Authorities say that he may have visited the camper on Cripple Creek Road the day of the killings.

Officers found partially burned clothing in a fire pit near the camper, according to court documents.

Authorities have been aware for some time of Hammer's past in Philadelphia.

In 1980, a jury in Philadelphia convicted Hammer of third-degree murder in the beating death of off-duty police officer Charles Uffelman in 1978. Hammer was sentenced to 71/2 to 15 years in prison.

According to newspaper reports in Philadelphia, Uffelman died of head injuries. Police at the time said that he was hit with a railroad tie found at the scene.

At his first trial, Hammer said that Uffelman gave him a ride, and made an unwelcome sexual advance. He said he hit Uffelman with the railroad tie during a scuffle after Uffelman drew a gun.

In 1985, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered a new trial, saying that the Philadelphia judge who presided over the 1980 trial held an unfair preference for the prosecution. At the new trial, a jury acquitted Hammer of the killing.

But while Hammer was in prison, he escaped in 1983. He was sentenced to nine years for the escape and for a robbery and burglary that he committed while he was on the run.

Hammer's relatives in Delaware declined to comment yesterday about Hammer's past or about the most recent charges against him.

Authorities searched Hammer's property extensively last summer in connection with the disappearance of Jimmy Blevins, who sometimes worked at Hammer's firewood business, said Sheriff James Williams of Ashe County.

Williams said that they searched for Blevins' remains in a deep fire pit behind Hammer's home and sawmill. They dug 14 feet into the pit, he said.

"We did extensive searches by air, ground, cadaver dogs - you name it, we've done it," Williams said.

They had divers in the North Fork of the New River, which is near Blevins' home. They did grid searches of the woods. No trace of Blevins has been found.

He has been missing since Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007. His family reported him missing three days later.

When deputies arrived at his home, they found chicken cooking in a crock pot.

The television was on, and so were the lights.

Blevins' family said that he was a good son, and often helped his grandparents. His step-grandmother, Thelma Hurley, lives just up the hill from Blevins' home.

"I saw Fred's truck take him off and

didn't ever see Jimmy no more," she said.

Janet Blevins, Jimmy's mother, said that Hammer owed her son $1,605 in unpaid labor at Freddie P's Firewood, Hammer's business. The night before her son disappeared, she said, Hammer had paid her son $100 of the money.

On the day he disappeared, she said, Jimmy called Hammer and told him he needed more money. "Fred said he didn't have it, and would pay him some the next week," she said.

Hammer is married to Janet Blevins' sister, Brenda.

Williams said that Hammer has been the main suspect in Blevins' disappearance from the beginning. "He had the motive, he had the opportunity, especially him being the last one to be seen with him that evening, and then he (Blevins) just disappeared into thin air," Williams said.

Blevins' home is within several hundred yards of the N.C. 16 bridge over the North Fork of the New River. That's the spot where Tim Shatley was shot and killed Dec. 19, 2005, as he drove home from his first night's work at a North Wilkesboro restaurant.

Williams said that there is still little evidence in the Shatley case, and investigators want to question Hammer about it.

The Christmas-tree farm killings, the disappearance of Blevins and the unsolved killing of Shatley all happened within about 4 miles of each other.

Journal reporter Sherry Youngquist and Media General News Service contributed to this story.