Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens issued the following statement.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II announces the conviction and sentencing of Yolanda Torns on the charges of Second-Degree Murder.
On April 1, 2019, Louisiana State Police discovered the body of Celeste McDonald in a marshy area near Mound, LA. McDonald had been reported missing the day before in Mississippi. As a result of the Jackson Police Department’s investigation, Ryan Christopher Hopkins and Yolanda Torns were arrested and charged with McDonald’s murder.
According to Torns’ sworn testimony, prior to the murder, McDonald had accused Hopkins of sexual assault. On the day of the murder, Torns and Hopkins attempted to convince McDonald to withdraw her accusation. When McDonald refused, Hopkins allegedly killed her by cutting her throat. Torns then assisted Hopkins in disposing of the body in Louisiana. That same day, in a further effort to conceal their crimes, Hopkins and Torns were married so that they could not be compelled to testify against one another. Torns has since obtained a divorce from Hopkins.
Torns was sentenced to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 15 years suspended and 25 years to serve, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Torns’ sentence is contingent on her continued cooperation with the State in the case against Hopkins, including her truthful testimony at trial. Last month, Hopkins was extradited to Mississippi and is in the custody of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department awaiting trial.
“The facts of this case are particularly tragic and are a reminder of the important work this office does in seeking justice for victims,” DA Owens said following the hearing. “While the negotiated plea today does not relieve Ms. Torns’ of her culpability in this case, it is an important step in holding everyone accountable.”
Kingfish note: Hopkins awaits trial for the murder of McDonald. JJ reported on January 24:
Ryan Hopkins might finally face justice in Hinds County despite Tomie Green's efforts to keep the accused killer free when she sat on the bench.
A Hinds County grand jury indicted Hopkins in 2020 for allegedly killing a 21 year-old woman in 2019. He allegedly slashed the throat of Celeste McDonald a day after she filed rape charges in Jackson. A police affidavit states:
Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson held a bond hearing on April 3, 2020. Judge Peterson set his bond at $50,000 and placed him under house arrest since he had not been indicted since his April 4, 2019 arrest. Hopkins served time for a 2009 felony sexual assault conviction in Iowa and a 2013 aggravated assault conviction in Arkansas.
The Hinds County grand jury finally indicted Hopkins in June 2020 for first degree murder and conspiracy. However, the indictment was not served upon him until April 2021 since the monitoring company went out of business, thus allowing Hopkins to roam free for nine months after his indictment. Unfortunately for all, Judge Green kept Hopkins' bond at $50,000 and allowed him to remain under house arrest on May 28, 2021. You read that correctly. Judge Green allowed a man convicted of rape and aggravated assault in other states to remain free on "house arrest" after he was indicted for murder.
Hopkins retained attorney Dennis Sweet, IV. Sweet was able to obtain court permission for Hopkins to get a CDL. Having obtained the CDL, he was able to leave the state driving trucks. It was part of his job, you understand.
Hopkins allegedly kidnapped a woman in Arkansas and took her to New Hampshire where he repeatedly beat and raped her in August 2022 (See p.9 in police affidavit in documents posted below.).
A New Hampshire grand jury indicted him for two counts of kidnapping, three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault/domestic violence, three counts of aggravated sexual felonious sexual assault, criminal restraint, criminal threatening-domestic violence, and felon in possession of a deadly weapon on December 1, 2022. Earlier post.
Despite all the indictments, Hopkins pleaded guilty to a charge of felon in possession of a deadly weapon. Once New Hampshire was through with Hopkins, Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd issued a bench warrant for his arrest. New Hampshire extradited Hopkins to Hinds County where he will await trial.
8 comments:
I wish all the victims associated with Green's catch and release program could all sue her and she would sit in jail. Green has cause more deaths, rapes, robberies, etc. That poor victim and her family.
If I screw in my job, an invoice may be wrong and een something that minor...there is a real chance that I will be fired.
The Hinds county judges can massively screw up repeatedly and the resulting murders don't even earn them a slap on the wrist or so much as a mean headline in a newspaper.
Its revolting that Jackson residents expect so little and tolerate such garbage leadership.
gruesome-
Owens, justice delayed is justice denied.
9:40 Judges like her are elected. When idiots tolerate someone like that they have no one but themselves to blame for living in a cess pool. The only option is to move somewhere tolerable, if not "nice".
It’s sad that we as a society are burdened by vast numbers of negligent jurists. I really don’t know what we can do. I used to think we could hire and fire them at the ballot box. I don’t trust the electoral process any longer. You are a fool if you think elections can’t be bought or skewed to favor one particular party or the other vs illicit means.
Its sad that so few of us black citizens and our black leaders seem outraged at this crime and others like it, but we are ready to march our brother Fox to the gas chamber.
I hate that typical black on black crime is almost sanctioned by my fellow men and women.
Why do we pardon those acts, but behave like loud fools when a cop does his job or a white person kills us? SMH.
Justice in never served until we can raise the dead.
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