ST. CROIX — A parochial schoolteacher says she feels betrayed and excluded from the justice process as an attempted second-degree assault case against her ex-wife moves toward dismissal under a pretrial resolution agreement she did not know about in advance.
The attorney general says victims are typically notified before such agreements are reached and that a new tracking system is being implemented.
Delriese Hamilton reported to police in February 2025 that her then-estranged spouse, corrections officer Diane Christian, sprayed what authorities described as a household chemical into skincare products Hamilton uses on her face.
Hamilton said she noticed what appeared to be sunburn beneath her eyes and experienced a burning sensation when washing her face. She said she discovered the tampering after reviewing footage from a camera she had left running in her bedroom. At the time, the couple was going through a divorce. Court records show Christian filed for divorce.
The video, reviewed by WTJX, appears to show Christian — wearing a Bureau of Corrections T-shirt with her name on it — removing two skincare products from a drawer, taking off the lids, and spraying two squirts of a bottle labeled as Weiman Leather Conditioner into each container before returning them to the drawer.
Watch Video: Video of alleged skincare product tampering
In case of skin contact, users are urged to immediately flush skin with plenty of water because the product may cause skin irritation, including redness, drying, defatting, and cracking of the skin, according to the conditioner’s safety data sheet. If contact is made with the eyes, the product may cause eye irritation, including discomfort or pain, excess blinking, and tear production, with marked redness and swelling of the conjunctiva. It may be harmful if swallowed or may cause respiratory tract irritation if inhaled.
Hamilton filed a police report. Christian was later charged with attempted second-degree assault. According to the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged Christian sprayed a chemical substance into Hamilton’s skincare products knowing they would be applied to her face and eyelids and that the substance could be harmful. Christian was also charged with petit larceny for allegedly taking or withholding two Blink Mini video cameras valued at approximately $40 each.
Christian declined to comment when contacted by WTJX. She was placed on administrative leave pending resolution of the case, according to BOC Director Wynnie Testamark.
Court records show that Christian entered into a pretrial resolution agreement with the Virgin Islands Department of Justice on Feb. 18 requiring her to complete a certified anger management course and pay $80 in restitution. Upon completion of those conditions, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the complaint with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Superior Court Judge Yvette Ross-Edwards scheduled a review hearing for May 19 to determine whether Christian has complied with the agreement. A recently filed motion to dismiss was denied without prejudice because there was no evidence at the time that the conditions had been completed.
Hamilton said she was not notified of the agreement before it was finalized and learned about it on Feb. 23 from a victim advocate, who informed her she would receive $80 in restitution and that the case would be dismissed upon Christian’s completion of the anger management class.
After Christian’s arrest on Dec. 17, 2025, Hamilton said she contacted the Office of the Attorney General to ask about next steps but was told the case had not yet been assigned to a prosecutor. She said she later attempted to reach Assistant Attorney General Kippy Roberson multiple times without success and finally spoke with him on Feb. 25.
Hamilton said Roberson told her it was not his responsibility to keep her informed about the case and that the victim advocate was responsible for contacting her. She said he explained that once Christian completes the agreement, the case would be dismissed and it would not result in a criminal conviction on her record.
Roberson declined to comment when contacted by WTJX.
Attorney General Gordon Rhea said victims should ordinarily be notified by the Department of Justice’s Victim Assistance Unit before a pretrial diversion agreement is reached.
“We’re dealing with massive numbers of cases and every once in a while, there’s slippage,” Rhea said, noting the department is working to implement an electronic case-tracking system called Vinelink in the coming months to improve communication with victims and witnesses.
Hamilton said her frustration centers on what she describes as a lack of transparency throughout the process.
“I just feel like I’m violated from the very beginning,” she said. “I’ve been let down from the very beginning to the very end.”
Hamilton said she explained to Roberson that she was never notified about the case as the victim, and that she was trying to understand what happened, asking whether she had any say in the matter.
“Kippy Roberson told me he doesn’t have to be warm and fuzzy with me; it’s not his job to tell the victim anything about the case,” she said.
Hamilton said Roberson told her that the law does not require him to include victims while resolving cases.
“He was so nasty to me, I hung up the phone and I was in tears,” she said.
Rhea said victims do have a say, noting that prosecutors work in conjunction with the victim advocates to keep victims informed.
“One of the two should be in touch with the victim so that the victims know what’s going on and can have some input,” he said.
Hamilton questioned how the case could be resolved without jail time, probation, or a permanent criminal record.
“I feel re-traumatized, and I felt like an idiot,” she said, noting she was scheduled to see a therapist.
Hamilton questioned if Christian would have received a harsher penalty for animal abuse.
“Some people go to jail for animals, so maybe I’m less than an animal,” she said. “I just want my story out there because I can’t be the only person.”
Rhea emphasized that prosecutors often have to exercise some discretion, adding that a decision may be made that a victim is not happy with, but that simply cannot be helped at times because there are various factors that go into determining exactly what to do with a case.
“We’re very concerned to make sure that victims are notified and are a part of our decision-making process,” he said. “And that’s why we’re moving to put into place this automatic electronic system so that victims can actually find out details as cases progress, and the chances for misunderstanding, for missed opportunities to inform witnesses and victims will be reduced and hopefully even eliminated.”
