Family of 19-year-old woman bound, beaten and murdered, speaks with WCCB

CHARLOTTE, NC — The family of a 19-year-old girl brutally tortured, raped and murdered tells WCCB they are living a nightmare. Isabella Stroupe died over the weekend. Her accused killer is her boyfriend of nearly four years.

“I just don’t understand. How do you do that to a person?” asked Emilie Stroupe.

It’s the difficult question Isabella Stroupe’s mother has been asking herself since her daughter’s body was discovered.

According to the affidavit, her boyfriend, Thomaz Hamilton, called 911 saying Stroupe stopped breathing Saturday morning at their apartment on Yateswood Drive.

CMPD detectives found her bound in a bedroom with little clothing, suffering from multiple injuries, including stab wounds and broken bones. They say she was tortured over a period of several months. Stroupe says her daughter had her hair shaved off and weighed only about 60 pounds when she was found.

“It’s just like a nightmare that keeps getting more and worse and worse and worse and every day it’s a new, fresh hell that awaits me,” explained Stroupe.

Stroupe tells me Isabella cut off ties with the family just before Christmas. Around the time she accused Hamilton of abusing her daughter.

Isabella’s family says the 19-year-old was a kind person with a unique sense of humor, who loved to read and write.

Her family set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. In just a matter of days it’s nearly raised their goal of $6,500. Isabella’s sister, Marleigh Bailey, says the quick response from the community shows how much of an impact she made in such a short time on Earth.

“People did love her and they cared for her and I just hope she knew it. I hope she knew we loved her,” Bailey said.

Stroupe hopes others in a similar relationship seeks help before it’s too late.

“Tell somebody, run, scream, go to your parents, do whatever you need to do to get away from them. But tell somebody, ask for help,” said Stroupe.

Hamilton is charged with first degree rape and murder.  He’s being held in jail on no bond and is due back in court May 27th.