Jackson Hopper is a killer from Memphis Tennessee who was convicted of the murder of Ellie Young
According to court documents Jackson Hopper and Ellie Young were in a relationship that would end on a bad note
Jackson Hopper would meet Ellie Young at Shelby Farms Park where he would shoot Ellie Young multiple times outside of her vehicle causing her death
Jackson Hopper vehicle would be spotted as he attempted to flee the area. The high speed chase would see Hopper attempt to run over a Officer on two occasions before he was taken into custody. His violent arrest would trigger an inquest which saw six officers being charged with use of force
Jackson Hopper was slated to go to trial however at the last minute he would plead guilty and was sentenced to forty years in prison
Jackson Hopper Case
The man accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend on Oct. 19, 2024, in Shelby Farms Park, has accepted a guilty plea deal.
Jackson Hopper, 27, was originally scheduled to appear in court for a report date on Wednesday, April 15, where he accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder.
According to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office, Hopper will serve a 40-year sentence. This decision was made in cooperation with the victim’s family
“While no amount of time in prison will ever be enough to achieve justice for Ellie Young, we are pleased for the Young family that they can put this criminal matter behind them and celebrate the amazing life of Ellie without having to relive the trauma of her murder,” Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman shared.
The shooting occurred Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in the parking lot of the Visitor Center at Shelby Farms. Deputies arrived to find 22-year-old Ellie Claire Young shot several times and lying on the ground next to her Jeep. She died at the scene. Investigators said that Young and Hopper had recently broken up.
Investigators said Hopper took off after the shooting, and police later spotted his vehicle in Mason, Tennessee, where they, along with Tipton County deputies, began chasing the suspect.
The Tipton County Sheriff said Hopper tried to run over a Tipton County constable while the constable was deploying stop sticks.
The chase continued into Lauderdale County and then Dyer County. Authorities said once in Dyer County, Hopper tried to run over another deputy before a Dyer County deputy crashed into him to stop him before he could continue going the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
In addition to the charge of first-degree murder he faces in Shelby County, Hopper also faces criminal charges in Dyer County and Tipton County related to the multi-county pursuit.
After footage of Hopper’s arrest surfaced, several of the law enforcement agencies involved began investigations into their officers’ handling of the arrest, and several officers were ultimately charged with official misconduct.
In addition to the slew of criminal charges he faces, Young’s family has filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Hopper and his mother
Jackson Hopper News
Jackson Hopper, the man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend at the Shelby Farms park in 2024, has accepted a plea deal.
He is pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of 22-year-old Ellie Young.
Hopper previously declined a plea agreement earlier this year despite speaking with his family, who told him to accept the deal.
During the court appearance, Hopper took the stand, replying yes to the judge’s conditions of the plea.
The judge, accepting the plea, added that she is accepting on behalf of the family in hopes that it will remedy the pain she described as “immeasurable.”
With this guilty plea, Hopper is accepting a deal for a 40-year prison sentence.
“Today’s resolution allows them [the family] to move on,” Ellie Young’s family attorney stated after the court appearance. “We ask that you continue to give them their privacy.”
Monica Timmerman, Chief Prosecutor, said the following: “While no amount of time in prison will ever be enough to achieve justice for Ellie Young, we are pleased for the Young family that they can put this criminal matter behind them and celebrate the amazing life of Ellie without having to relive the trauma of her murder.”
Now that Hopper has been sentenced, he still faces charges in three other counties (Tipton, Lauderdale and Dyer County) in connection to a multi-county high-speed chase that led to his arrest.
Those charges include aggravated assault, reckless driving, evading arrest, assault on a first responder, reckless endangerment, failure to stop after accident involving injury, and vandalism.
Six of the officers involved in the chase are facing charges for use of force; they are due back in court August 4, 2026
Jackson Hopper accepts plea deal, admits to murder of ex-girlfriend Ellie Young
