Illinois boyfriend of missing Wisconsin woman sentenced to jail, faces felony trials
The on-again, off-again boyfriend of a missing Monticello woman has been sentenced to 90 days in the Green County Jail after pleading guilty to three misdemeanors.
Derek Hammer, 35, pleaded guilty on April 13 to three counts of disorderly conduct. He was credited with 45 days’ time served and fined $866, according to court records.
Hammer, of Shannon, Illinois, is also scheduled for a June 15 trial, where he will face a jury on a host of felony charges that involve Melissa Trumpy, the 37-year-old mom who hasn’t been seen since last October.
He’s charged with maintaining a drug house, illegal possession of a firearm, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and THC, disorderly conduct, and domestic abuse.
According to her family and friends, Trumpy, who was also charged as a party to the drug offenses, reluctantly decided to testify against Hammer before she went missing.
“She didn’t feel safe anymore,” said Mandy Mboge, Trumpy’s sister. “She was really afraid of Derek. She had gotten to a point where she didn’t even feel safe in her own home.”
Hammer has not been named a person of interest in Trumpy’s disappearance but those close to her continue to believe he is the key to finding out what happened to her. Trumpy was last seen with Hammer on Oct. 26, at his mother's home in Shannon.
Green County court records show that Hammer is also facing trial for alleged bail jumping and fleeing and eluding, a felony accusation that he led police on a high-speed chase while driving Trumpy’s car last year. A July 5 trial date has been set in that case.