Chambers Cleared Of Wrongdoing

Jamie Chambers is A free woman after a jury found her not guilty of being an accessory to murder. <br><br>The 22-year-old Tulsa woman was 17 when Michelle Hendrix was killed in 1996. Chambers drove the

Saturday, April 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Jamie Chambers is A free woman after a jury found her not guilty of being an accessory to murder.

The 22-year-old Tulsa woman was 17 when Michelle Hendrix was killed in 1996. Chambers drove the getaway car but said she knew nothing of her companions' plans to rob and kill.

Chambers plans to go back to classes at TU next semester. But she says she's already learned plenty during the past four years. Chambers is free after years of trials, court appearances and even jail time.

"It's amazing, it's a relief," says Chambers.

After more than five hours of deliberating, the jury determined she was not guilty of being an accessory to murder or robbery in 1996. That's when she gave a ride to two men who robbed, then shot and killed Michelle Hendrix. The young mother was leaving a West Tulsa health clinic with two of her children. Chambers testified she didn't know what the two men were doing and thought she was just being nice by giving them a ride, until the shooting happened. She says she was scared and drove away from the scene with the men.

Chambers went to police two days later and told them what happened. After being acquitted, she says she knows she made some wrong choices one of them: being with the wrong people.

"I've learned to be careful who I am around and I have been doing that since then and just watch out who I am around," says Chambers.

Her mother who sat two chairs away from Michelle Hendrix's mother as the verdict was read, said she's happy her daughter is free, but feels badly for the Hendrix family.

"I have struggled with that throughout the whole time that we've been going through this and I can't imagine how she feels but we still had to get Jamie's truth out," says Diane Trompler.

The case has been an ongoing battle for both sides the district attorney's office says they hope this conclusion, although not what they wanted, will help the Hendrix family move on.

"Justice is strange sometimes, sometimes you see things a different way and see them from a different perspective and it's not always clear what justice is you know," says Assistant District Attorney John Heil.

Chambers says she is glad that justice went her way this time. This was her second trial. In the first trial she pleaded no contest to the charges and a judge gave her a 15-year sentence. Her attorney thought that was too much and appealed for this new trial.