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Woman killed by boyfriend, police say

Four neighbors said they heard the couple yelling at various times Tuesday night, but did not hear gunshots.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published September 30, 2005

LARGO - Amber Bartalino had a rocky childhood, but those closest to her said she was upbeat and strived for normalcy in her life.

At work, she seemed happy and sociable, former co-workers said. If she faced trouble at home, she gave off no sign, they said.

On Tuesday night, however, Bartalino argued with her boyfriend, Alexander Lee Clayton, and he fatally shot her three times with a single-shot shotgun, police said. Clayton, 30, who was charged with first-degree murder, is being held at the Pinellas County Jail without bail.

Her death echoed a violent attack in her family when she was a child.

When she was 4, her father, Glen W. Gibbens, fired four shots at her house, killing her 62-year-old grandmother.

Bartalino's father, who was convicted of second-degree murder, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 10 years' probation. At the time, Gibbens had been involved in a custody battle over Bartalino and her sister. He was released from prison in 1999, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Despite that loss, Bartalino grew into a friendly and outgoing young woman.

When Bartalino was 17, she dated Judi Crum's son, Jeff Feldhaus. Crum let Bartalino move into her house because Bartalino was having trouble at home.

Bartalino joined Crum's family on trips to the Florida Keys and to a Brooksville farm, where the family cut down their annual Christmas tree.

"Every time we went and did something she would be lots of fun," Crum said. "We just loved her."

Bartalino attended Osceola High School with Feldhaus.

"We went to homecoming, prom and all that stuff. She got out of school and got her GED," said Feldhaus, 20.

The couple went out for 11/2 years, and Feldhaus remained friends with his first love for a year after that.

For several months, Bartalino worked at Wal-Mart, where she met Clayton. She recently got a job at Albertsons as a cashier.

A tall redhead with fair skin and freckles, Bartalino would have celebrated her 21st birthday next month.

A few of her Wal-Mart co-workers said Bartalino always had a smile on her face.

"She would literally skip to me and say, "What's up, Buddy?' She was really joyful," former co-worker Rebekah Jackson said.

Rachel Dunning said Bartalino's outgoing attitude at Wal-Mart got Bartalino in trouble when she first got a job there.

"She wouldn't go for breaks," Dunning said. "She would hang out with co-workers and goof off."

Bartalino's aunt, Marianne Bartalino, said her niece was unhappy in the relationship and was making plans to move out. But a few of Bartalino's former co-workers said they saw no sign of trouble in her relationship.

Clayton seemed shy and personable, Jackson said.

Four neighbors said they heard the couple yelling at the Whispering Pines mobile home park at various times Tuesday night, but did not hear gunshots.

Law enforcement officials apprehended Clayton thanks to a tip from his father. Clayton had told his father that he had killed Bartalino, said Clayton's mother, Mary.

"He didn't know if it was true," Mary Clayton said.

The Florida Highway Patrol captured Clayton at a Pasco County rest stop and took him into custody without resistance shortly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Mary Clayton said her son, who served as a corporal in the Army, wanted to better himself. Clayton was a talented writer and talked about learning a trade, she said.

"He could describe things like nobody else could," she said.

--Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 30, 2005, 01:36:15]