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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*

February 3, 2023




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Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Initiative Brings Charges in 2005 Rape Case





*LANSING *– Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) has announced that Shawn Darnell Robinson Hopkins, 37, Kalamazoo, has turned himself in on a warrant concluding a decades-long investigation. Hopkins is charged with 1 Count of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.  

In 2005, Hopkins is alleged to have plied a 14-year-old girl with alcohol and marijuana before sexually assaulting her. The girl, who had met Hopkins through a friend a few hours prior to the assault, only knew him by the street name “Chicago.” The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) investigated the case in 2005, but their investigation was stymied when Hopkins discovered he was under investigation and fled to Chicago.    

Hopkins, who has a history of domestic violence with family members and intimate partners dating back to the early 2000s, has more than a half-dozen aliases. His identity was determined recently through DNA testing.   

“The ties between sexual assault and domestic violence are pervasive and well-documented. This defendant has a track record of multiple violent assaults, and yet his survivors still had the courage to come forward and report their experiences to law enforcement,” Nessel said. “I’m grateful for the continued hard work and determination of the Kalamazoo SAKI team who help cold cases like this achieve justice.” 

Judge Parker-LaGrone of the 8th District Court in Kalamazoo released Hopkins on February 2, 2023, on a personal recognizance bond. Hopkins will be arrested and held on $100,000 bond if he fails to appear for court or violates any of his bond conditions.    

“This case is another example of the tremendous work being done on behalf of the survivors of sexual assault. No survivor should go unheard. I hope that this case, and others like it, will serve notice to those that would prey on others in the community that there are severe consequences for their actions,” said Jeff Getting, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor. “I also want to take this opportunity to thank Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Legislature for their support. Without it, we would not be able to have the team of attorneys, advocates, and investigators that are necessary to bring these difficult cases to court.” 

The Kalamazoo SAKI project, established in 2017, is funded by the Michigan Legislature and involves a partnership between the Attorney General’s office, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office, and the YWCA of Kalamazoo. The SAKI project uses the nationally recognized best practice “team approach” to the re-investigation and prosecution of cold-case sexual assaults. The team consists of a special assistant attorney general, deputized investigators employed by the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office, and a victim advocate/therapist employed by the YWCA of Kalamazoo.     

Hopkins is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary examination on February 21, 2023, at 1:30 pm and is represented by the Kalamazoo Defender’s Office.  

If any person has information about this crime or has been victimized by this defendant, please email Kalamazoo SAKI Investigator Scott Eager <[email protected]> or contact him by phone at 269-303-8524. 

*"Please note: "*"A criminal charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ""The Attorney General’s Office does not provide photos of defendants, ""the booking photo of Hopkins" [ [link removed] ]" was provided by the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office." 

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