Police said Isabella Stroupe was found dead inside an east Charlotte apartment after suffering major injuries.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 24-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape after his 19-year-old girlfriend was found dead inside an east Charlotte apartment, police said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police identified the victim as Isabella Mary Alexandria Stroupe. Investigators said Thomaz Kenon Hamilton was arrested May 5 after detectives obtained warrants in the homicide case. The charges followed a medical examiner’s ruling that Stroupe’s death was a homicide and court records that described severe injuries found on her body.
Officers, Charlotte Fire and MEDIC responded May 1 to the 6600 block of Yateswood Drive after a report of an unresponsive woman, police said. First responders found Stroupe inside the apartment and pronounced her dead at the scene. Police said Hamilton had reported that she was not breathing. Court records said officers first met Hamilton at a nearby QT gas station before going to the apartment complex. Hamilton told investigators that he and Stroupe lived together as boyfriend and girlfriend, and that no one else was inside the apartment at the time, according to records described by local news outlets.
Investigators later said the scene and medical findings did not match Hamilton’s account. An affidavit said Stroupe was found in a bedroom with minimal clothing and bound to a bed with a tow strap. The document said she had multiple injuries, including broken and fractured bones and stab wounds. Police found a knife wrapped in cellophane with suspected blood on it, a baseball bat, a sword, several cellphones, some broken, clothing with suspected blood and a mattress that appeared to have blood on it. The affidavit said Stroupe had been tortured over several months and was not physically able to consent to sex.
The case moved from an emergency medical call to a homicide investigation after detectives consulted with the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office. CMPD said members of its homicide unit and Crime Scene Search unit responded to the apartment after Stroupe was found. The department said the manner of death was ruled a homicide days later. Police have not publicly released a full autopsy report or a final detailed cause of death. Officials also have not said when Stroupe first began living at the Yateswood Drive apartment. A CMPD incident report listed her home address as Shelby, about 45 miles west of Charlotte.
Hamilton was located and arrested without incident by CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team on May 5, police said. He was taken to the Law Enforcement Center for an interview with homicide detectives, then transferred to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Jail records cited by local reports said he was being held without bond. His next court date was listed as May 27. The charges remain allegations, and court proceedings had not reached a trial or plea stage as of Thursday.
Family members described Stroupe as creative and close to the stories and characters she loved. On a fundraising page for funeral expenses, her sister wrote that the family had not expected to face “such a heartbreaking situation.” She said Stroupe loved reading, fan fiction and My Little Pony, and that her creativity brought joy to the family. The public statements from relatives focused on grief and funeral costs, while police limited their comments to the criminal investigation and the charges filed against Hamilton.
Police said the investigation remains active and ongoing. Detective Fitch was named as the lead homicide detective. As of May 7, Hamilton remained charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape, and the next listed court milestone was May 27.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.