Great Lakes Wire

Last week, a jury in Kalamazoo County's 9th Circuit Court found Shawn Darnell Robinson Hopkins guilty of two counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct. The conviction relates to the assault of a minor in 2005. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the verdict.

The victim, who was 14 years old at the time, reported the assault by an unknown man immediately after it occurred in 2005. Robinson Hopkins was identified as the perpetrator in 2022 through DNA evidence.

"I am grateful for the efforts of the Kalamazoo SAKI unit to secure this conviction, 19 years following this terrible assault," said Nessel. "It can be extremely difficult to bring about justice in cold-case sexual assault trials, but the talented prosecutors of our state’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative continue to bring these cases before juries, secure convictions, and make our communities safer. I applaud the remarkable bravery of our victim, who, as a child 19 years ago, had the courage to speak out and seek accountability for her abuser. Her strength is a reminder that justice is worth pursuing, no matter how long it takes."

Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey S. Getting also commented on the case: "I continue to be impressed time and again by the work that the Kalamazoo County SAKI team does on behalf of sexual assault survivors," he said. "These are complicated, difficult, important cases that not only bring justice for survivors but are also making our community safer."

Robinson Hopkins will face sentencing before Judge Kenneth Barnard in February next year. This case marks the 22nd cold-case sexual assault conviction prosecuted by Kalamazoo's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).

Established in 2016, Michigan's SAKI aims to investigate and prosecute sexual assaults linked to previously untested evidence kits. The initiative offers victims a chance for their cases to be re-investigated comprehensively and with sensitivity towards trauma. The Kalamazoo SAKI project is a collaboration between several organizations including Michigan Attorney General’s Office and YWCA of Kalamazoo.