On October 3, 2024, Clarence Hopson was sentenced to 40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Circuit Judge Adam Giganti. Hopson was convicted of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Home Invasion, Aggravated Domestic Battery, and Aggravated Stalking by a Sangamon County jury in July 2024.
The jury heard evidence that from October 15 to November 12, 2022, Hopson stalked and threatened his ex-girlfriend, vowing to kill her. On November 12, 2022, Hopson used a cinder block to shatter her glass door and entered her home armed with a box cutter. He proceeded to cut her throat, chin, and wrist before fleeing, allowing the victim to call 911.
The Springfield Police Department responded, and the victim was transported to the hospital. The box cutter was recovered at the scene and tested by the Illinois State Police Crime Lab, which found the victim's blood on the blade and Hopson’s DNA on the handle.
Evidence presented at trial included phone records from AT&T and Facebook, which placed Hopson at the scene of the crime. Between 1:00 a.m. and the attack at 5:30 a.m., Hopson had called the victim 39 times and sent multiple text and Facebook messages. After the attack, he fled to Chicago, then Las Vegas, before being apprehended in Colorado and extradited to Illinois.
During sentencing, prosecutors argued that Hopson intended to kill his ex-girlfriend, noting that she survived the attack through sheer determination. The victim gave a statement in court, detailing the lasting physical, emotional, and mental scars. Despite this, she extended grace to Hopson, saying she prayed for him to forgive himself. Hopson apologized to the victim and her family, claiming he never intended for the attack to happen.
Judge Giganti refuted Hopson’s apology, stating, “You broke into that house with the intent to murder her – I have no doubt in my mind about that.” He cited Hopson’s weeks of harassment and the brutality of the attack in his sentencing.
Hopson received 25 years for Attempted First-Degree Murder, 10 years for Home Invasion, and 5 years for Aggravated Stalking, to be served consecutively, totaling 40 years. Due to the severity of the injuries, Hopson must serve 85% of his sentences for Attempted Murder and Home Invasion. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant State’s Attorney Derek Dion and Assistant State’s Attorney Meghan McCarthy. Hopson represented himself during both the trial and sentencing hearings.