Execution Report: Bobby Hopkins

Bobby Ray Hopkins, 36, was executed by lethal injection on 12 February 2004 in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of two women in their home.

On 31 July 1993 before dawn, Hopkins, then 26, entered the apartment of Jennifer Weston, 19, and her 18-year-old cousin, Sandi Marbut. Marbut was in the downstairs living room. Hopkins stabbed and cut her approximately 40 times. Weston came downstairs while Hopkins was attacking Marbut. Hopkins began attacking her at the foot of the stairs. Weston tried to flee by running upstairs, but she died on the top landing. She had 66 stab wounds.

Hopkins then searched the bedrooms for money. He also went into the bathroom and washed some of the blood off of himself. He also used some bathroom towels to try to stop the bleeding from his own wounds. He then exited the apartment. The girls' bodies were discovered later that day by Marbut's parents.

Texas Ranger George Turner learned from bystanders at the scene that Bobby Hopkins had been in the girls' apartment approximately two weeks earlier and, at that time, got in an argument with Marbut over money that was missing from her purse. Marbut accused Hopkins of stealing the money and asked him to leave and not come back. Later that evening, Ranger Turner interviewed Hopkins and observed cuts on his hands and arms. He also noticed blood on Hopkins' boots. The prints of Hopkins' boots were matched to a bloodstain on the apartment floor near where Weston was stabbed. Hopkins was arrested on 4 August.

About a week after the murders, police found two blood-stained towels in a culvert between the murder scene and Hopkins' home. The towels were given to Marbut by her parents, and the blood matched Hopkins' blood. Two weeks later, a blood-stained knife was discovered outside the apartment. The blood matched Hopkins and the two victims. Hopkins' blood was also found in numerous areas of the murder scene, including the inside of Marbut's chest of drawers and the inside of Weston's purse.

After holding Hopkins in isolation for 15 days and questioning him eight times, authorities brought in Tony Knott, a New Mexico detective who Hopkins considered to be a friend. After a four-hour session with Knott, Hopkins made a videotaped confession. He stated that he went to the girls' apartment at around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. He and Sandi Marbut began to argue. Hopkins said that Marbut got a knife, a struggle ensued, and he stabbed her in self-defense.

Hopkins had previous convictions for assault, dealing cocaine, shoplifting, driving while intoxicated, and non-payment of child support. He had been in and out of jail several times and was on probation at the time of the murders. He had no prior prison record.

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