A Kalamazoo man, Shawn Darnell Robinson Hopkins, 39, has been sentenced to 12 to 50 years in prison for the 2005 sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. The case went cold for nearly two decades before DNA evidence led to Hopkins' identification and subsequent conviction.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, who announced the sentencing, expressed hope that the sentence would bring "a sense of justice to the victim." Nessel praised the victim's bravery in seeking accountability, as stated in an interview reported by WWMT, "Her courage to come forward and seek accountability for her abuser is truly commendable." The victim had initially reported the assault after it happened but could only identify the perpetrator by his street name, "Chicago."
Michigan's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which focuses on investigating cold cases involving untested sexual assault evidence kits, played a pivotal role in bringing Hopkins to justice. According to WOODTV, the Kalamazoo SAKI unit took up the case, and a DNA test conducted in 2022 led to Hopkins' arrest and charges. Hopkins became the 22nd conviction achieved by the SAKI program in Kalamazoo County.
