David Hampton swore he was done with the life of the con. But few confidence men ever are, and throughout the 1990s, David Hampton continued to con his way across the United States. According to “Crafty Crooks and Conmen,” Hampton went by names including Patrick Owens and Antonio Jones. He continued to focus on celebrities.
Still hoping to make it as an actor, Hampton once told a theater manager he was the Broadway star from “Six Degrees of Separation.” Suspicious, the theater manager called the police after Hampton left. Once the police tracked him down, David Hampton claimed the imposter must have been another man. Reportedly, he told the police, “You know, I had this trouble before.”
In October 2001, Peter Bedevian was conned out of nearly $1,000 while on a date with David, who had promised to take him to a 9/11 celebrity benefit concert. According to “Crafty Crooks and Conmen,” Bedevian held no bitterness. “He was a charming companion,” he said, “able to pick out a little information … and use it to make me feel even more comfortable.” He described David’s con as nonetheless “one of the best dates” he’d ever had.
As if sure of his ability to dazzle, David Hampton once told a crowd of onlookers, “I know how to waltz into a room, darling.” However fictitious the music was, David Hampton could certainly waltz. According to Playbill and The New York Times, he died of AIDS-related complications in June 2003 at 39 years old.
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