Murder on Middle Beach: How much money did Jeffrey Hamburg allegedly steal from wife and daughter's account?
Barbara Beach Hamburg was found dead on March 3, 2010, outside of her Connecticut home, her body was discovered by her sister and daughter. HBO is all set to release its mini-docuseries, 'Murder on Middle Beach', which is a moving journey of Barbara's life and murder, and how her family dealt with the aftermath of her death. The docuseries, releasing on Sunday, November 15, unveils Barbara's troubled relationship with his ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg and her brutal murder.
On March 3, 2010, morning, Barbara was found dead in the front yard of her home by her sister, Conway Beach, and daughter Ali Hamburg. According to the HBO docuseries, her body was covered with outdoor furniture cushions when it was found. She also suffered numerous stab wounds to her face, chest and hands. Barbara was married to Jeffrey since 1989, and in 2002, the couple got divorced. In the following years, between their divorce and her death, the couple appeared in court together, several times, as Barbara claimed that her ex-friend failed to make alimony and child support payments.
It was reported that Jeffrey stole nearly $100,000 from his children's trust accounts from 2008 to early 2010, taking the last $400 out of his daughter's funds 14 days before his ex-wife, Barbara was found dead outside her Middle Beach Road home, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. The affidavit originates from a second crime charge filed against Jeffrey on May 10, by Madison police. Jeffrey, 63, of Park Avenue in New York City was already facing a first-degree larceny charge from Madison police in 2011, for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from another of his daughter's trust accounts. Police say Jeffrey has left his daughter's accounts depleted.
The Hamburgs daughter, also named Barbara, made the second complaint against her father in June 16, 2011, and police in the affidavit refer to the act as "embezzlement of funds." She made the first complaint to police on March 24, 2011. According to both arrest warrant testimonies, during June 4, 2009, civil proceeding in Superior Court, Jeffrey said in a sworn statement that he had used his children's funds for personal use. Large withdrawals from the account began in February 2006, at which time the balance of the account was about $106,207. The balance was depleted to $992 by October 1, 2006, according to the warrant. In both affidavits, there is mention of private schools attended by the younger Barbara Hamburg and the payments made by Jeffrey, which account for some of the money he withdrew.
On August 31, 2009, Jeffrey made a wire transfer in the amount of $18,129.66 from his daughter's account to his and listed the reason as "pay college tuition." But that didn't fly because, according to the affidavit, "The daughter resided with her mother since summer 2008 and attended a local high school at no cost."
A second wire transfer was made on February 19, 2010, in the amount of $400 from the daughter's account to a Peoples United Bank account "listed as a second party in the name of Barbara B. Hamburg (slaying victim) ACF Barbara Hamburg (daughter)," 111 Timberwood Road, West Hartford, Jeffrey Hamburg's former address. The purpose of the transfer was listed as "gift," the affidavit states. According to the first arrest affidavit, there was $85,000 transferred from son Madison's account to his father's account between February 2006 to September 2006, and in the second affidavit, that amount was $46,829 during the same time frame as money taken from his sister's account.
Early in the homicide probe, Jeffrey was sought for questioning and provided police with a DNA sample. At that time, his attorney, Hugh Keefe, identified Jeffrey as a "person of interest" in the killing. No one has been arrested in the crime yet.