A retired judge has been appointed to oversee the case of a Crawford County woman accused of conspiring to kidnap her daughter, with a trial scheduled to begin October 15, according to court documents.
The Arkansas Supreme Court named retired Circuit Court Judge William Wright to preside over the case involving Tamara “Tammi” Hamby. Hamby, along with three co-defendants—David Quach, Nico Austria, and Shannon Childers—was arrested in December 2025 and faces several charges, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, abuse of an endangered or impaired adult, third-degree battery, and second-degree terroristic threatening. The charges stem from an alleged scheme that authorities say Hamby orchestrated.
According to an arrest warrant, Hamby allegedly devised a plan to kidnap her daughter, who has physical and intellectual disabilities. Authorities claim the mother intended the staged kidnapping as a way to teach her daughter about the dangers of interacting with strangers online. The plan reportedly involved the three co-defendants, but the attempt went awry. Hamby’s daughter managed to escape and call 911.
All four defendants have pleaded not guilty and are being represented by the same attorney.
Court filings from July 10 indicate Hamby’s legal team plans to use a “choice of evils” defense. Under Arkansas law, this necessity defense may apply in cases where an individual argues that committing a criminal act was necessary to prevent greater harm. The defense asserts that the harm prevented must outweigh the damage caused by the crime itself.
In addition to her trial starting on October 15, Hamby has another court appearance scheduled in Crawford County on October 29 at 9 a.m.