MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 28-year-old Tennessee man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the brutal, execution-style murder of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend, a promising medical student, in the parking lot of a breast cancer awareness event.
Jackson Hopper was sentenced Wednesday in Shelby County Criminal Court after accepting a plea deal on one count of second-degree murder in the October 19, 2024, slaying of Ellie Claire Young. The agreement, reached in cooperation with Young’s family, spared both sides a trial that had been scheduled for July. Judge Carlyn L. Addison accepted the plea and imposed the 40-year sentence.
According to authorities and court records, Young — a second-year medical student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis — had recently ended her relationship with Hopper. On the day of the killing, she participated in the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk at Shelby Farms Park, a large public green space in Memphis.
Hopper, police say, followed her to the event. As Young returned to her Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot of the Shelby Farms Visitor’s Center around 12:15 p.m., a white Honda CR-V with Kentucky temporary tags pulled up behind her vehicle. Hopper allegedly fired two shots into the back of the Jeep. Young attempted to flee or exit the vehicle, but Hopper continued the attack.
Witnesses described a chilling scene: after Young fell to the ground, Hopper got out, stood over her, and fired additional shots in what authorities characterized as an execution-style ambush. He then returned to his vehicle, drove away briefly, turned around, and came back to fire a sixth and final shot before fleeing the scene. Young was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m. She had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The parking lot was busy with participants and families returning from the charity walk, making the brazen daytime shooting even more shocking to the community.
Hopper led law enforcement on a multi-county police chase after the murder. The pursuit ended when officers used a PIT maneuver to flip his vehicle. Video from the arrest showed officers dragging him from the car and using force to subdue him, an incident that later drew internal review.
Hopper was initially charged with first-degree murder and additional offenses related to the chase. In February 2025, he rejected a similar 40-year plea offer, but accepted it this week. During the brief hearing, he acknowledged the conviction and sentence in open court.
Young’s family, who were present in the courtroom, addressed the judge. The plea deal brought a measure of closure without forcing them to endure the trauma of a full trial, though the pain of losing their daughter — described by those who knew her as a dedicated, compassionate aspiring physician — remains profound.
Hopper still faces separate charges stemming from the police pursuit. He is expected to serve the 40-year sentence in a Tennessee state correctional facility, with no fine imposed.
The case has left a lasting scar on the Memphis community, particularly among those who knew Young as a bright young woman full of promise, taken from the world while supporting a cause dedicated to fighting the very disease that has touched so many lives.
This expansion adds context from the reported events (the breakup, the specific location and timing, witness descriptions of the shooting, the chase, the plea process, and Young’s background) while keeping the core facts intact and the tone appropriately journalistic. Let me know if you’d like it longer, shorter, more dramatic, or adjusted in any way.
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