SAYVILLE, N.Y. — The death of a beloved Long Island grandmother has turned into a murder investigation spanning two states after authorities say her former boyfriend killed her before he was later shot dead by police in Massachusetts.
Rachel Frislid, 62, was found dead inside her Sayville home around 8:30 p.m. last Thursday after a family member discovered her body, according to police.
Investigators identified her ex-boyfriend, Brandon Hampson, 55, as the suspect in the fatal stabbing. The investigation eventually led authorities hundreds of miles away to Massachusetts, where Hampson was located outside a motel.
What happened next brought a deadly end to the search for the suspect.
Ex-Boyfriend Confronts Police With Knife
Suffolk County police, working alongside Massachusetts state and local officers, located Hampson outside a motel in Massachusetts on Wednesday night.
According to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., officers saw Hampson smoking cigarettes and immediately ordered him to surrender.
Instead, authorities say, Hampson pulled a knife from inside his clothing and moved toward several police officers.
“He was ordered with multiple verbal commands to stay on the ground to not go further,” Early said during a press conference Thursday. Authorities said Hampson continued moving toward officers despite repeated commands.
“He got up with the knife and continued to go towards the officers where he was shot several times,” the district attorney said.
Hampson was killed in the police shooting.
Police Call Suspect ‘Very Dangerous’
Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Geoff Noble said Hampson’s presence in the area represented a serious danger to the local community.
The superintendent described Hampson as a “very dangerous individual” and said his presence in Massachusetts posed a significant threat to residents of Erving and surrounding communities.
Noble said Hampson had “presented himself armed with a deadly weapon” and refused law enforcement commands.
“He escalated the situation and left our law enforcement officers with an extraordinarily difficult split-second decision to use force in defense of their own lives and in the lives of others,” Noble said.
The confrontation ended the search for the man police say was responsible for Frislid’s death.
Rachel Frislid Remembered as ‘Heart of Gold’
While the investigation unfolded, people who knew Frislid were left grieving the loss of a woman they described as kind, family-oriented and deeply loved.
Eileen Tyznar, president emeritus of the Sayville Chamber of Commerce, previously described Frislid as “a heart of gold” and “the nicest woman you could have ever met.”
Tyznar said Frislid often spoke proudly about her family, including her son and daughter.
Frislid had also built a life around her family’s business. After her husband died several years ago, she took charge of Academy Tent Rentals of Bohemia, continuing to run the business as she approached retirement.
Her death came at a time when she was reportedly looking forward to a new chapter in her life.
Grandmother Was Planning Her Retirement
According to the report, Frislid had hoped to retire soon and move to Tennessee so she could be closer to her daughter and grandchild.
That planned future has now been replaced by grief for the people who knew her. Neighbor Peter Woram, who had worked near Frislid, said he was heartbroken after learning of her death.
“Now to hear that she’s dead, I’m just, I don’t know what to say, I’m heartbroken,” Woram said.
What do you think about this heartbreaking case? Share your thoughts and condolences for Rachel Frislid’s family in the comments below.
