Tennessee Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Killing Ex-Girlfriend at Cancer Charity Walk

A man accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend during a breast cancer awareness walk in Tennessee has accepted a guilty plea deal. He was previously charged with first-degree murder, court records show.

Jackson Hopper, 27, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after he agreed to a plea deal for second-degree murder, according to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office. The decision was made on April 15 in cooperation with the victim’s family, ABC 24 reported.

A trial that had been scheduled to begin on July 13 will no longer take place. Action News 5 reported that Hopper denied a plea deal in February.

Hopper killed Ellie Claire Young on Oct. 19, 2024, in the parking lot of Shelby Farms Park. Authorities found 22-year-old Young shot multiple times and lying on the ground next to her jeep.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said that Young and Hopper had recently ended their romantic relationship.

Investigators added that Hopper fled the scene after the shooting, and police later spotted his vehicle in Mason, Tennessee, where they, along with Tipton County deputies, began chasing the suspect.

According to the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, Hopper also tried to run over a constable who was deploying stop sticks. The chase continued into Lauderdale County and then Dyer County, where the suspect once again tried to run over a deputy before he was apprehended.

“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 said during the sentencing.

ABC 24 reported that Hopper also faces criminal charges in Dyer County and Tipton County related to the multi-county car chase.

After footage of Hopper’s arrest surfaced, law enforcement agencies began investigations into their officers’ handling of the arrest, and several officers were ultimately charged with official misconduct.

Additionally, Young’s family has filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the suspect and his mother.

Ellie Young was described as a “beautiful soul inside and out” and someone who “dedicated her life toward serving others” family members said.

Young had graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in May 2024 and had only begun her journey to become a physician at the UTHSC College of Medicine in August 2024, according to her GoFundMe page.

She had been elected to her class council at UTHSC shortly before her death.

“After a long week of studying to become a doctor, she decided to spend her weekend participating in a Breast Cancer Awareness walk, which ended in her tragic murder,” her family said. “Ellie was the victim of a senseless act of violence.”

“Ellie deserves justice. And further donations will help her family get that justice as they begin on the long road ahead with the legal system.”