Although sentenced in Shelby County, Jackson Hopper still faces charges in Tipton, Lauderdale and Dyer County after leading cops on a chase after the shooting
NEED TO KNOW
- Jackson Hopper pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, avoiding a trial and receiving a 40-year prison sentence
- The plea deal was made in cooperation with the family of his ex-girlfriend, Ellie Claire Young, whom he shot and killed during a Tennessee charity walk
- Hopper still faces additional charges from a police chase following the 2024 shooting
Jackson Hopper, who is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend Ellie Claire Young during a 2024 cancer charity walk in Tennessee, has accepted a plea deal.
The 27-year-old had previously been charged with first-degree murder, court records reviewed by PEOPLE show. Hopper pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder on Wednesday, April 15, avoiding a trial that was set to start in July, per the court records.
As part of the plea deal, Hopper was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The decision was made in cooperation with Young’s family, ABC 24 Memphis reported.
Hopper previously declined a plea deal in February, according to Action News 5.…