Clarence Hopson was found guilty of attempted First Degree Murder, Home Invasion, Aggravated Domestic Battery, and Aggravated Stalking after a jury trial in Sangamon County. The jury heard evidence over the course of the trial that from October 15, 2022, through November 12, 2022, the Defendant stalked and surveilled his ex-girlfriend and threatened to kill her.
The victim testified that in the early morning hours on November 12, 2022, the Defendant used a cinder block to shatter the glass door to her residence. Once inside, while armed with a box cutter, he cut her throat and chin and slashed her wrist. Hopson then ran out of the house and the victim was able to call 911. The Springfield Police Department responded, and the victim was transported to the hospital for treatment. The box cutter was recovered from the crime scene and sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for testing. Testing revealed the victim’s blood was on the blade of the box cutter, while the Defendant’s DNA was on the handle.
Lead Detective Brian Harhausen testified that he, along with other detectives from the Springfield Police Department, conducted numerous phone extractions and received records from AT&T and Facebook, which showed Hopson’s location at the victim’s home during the attack (approx. 5:30 a.m.). Evidence at trial showed that he was also there earlier in the morning (approx. 1:00 a.m.). Records admitted into evidence showed that between 1:00 a.m. and the time of the attack, the Defendant called the victim 39 times and sent numerous text and Facebook messages. After the attack, Hopson fled initially to Chicago and then Las Vegas before being apprehended in Colorado and extradited back to Illinois. The jury found Hopson guilty on all counts. He faces a minimum of 14 years and a maximum of 95 years in prison when sentenced by Circuit Judge Adam Giganti on October 3, 2024.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Meghan McCarthy and Special Assistant State’s Attorney Derek Dion. Hopson represented himself in the trial and remains in custody pending sentencing.