A Tennessee judge sentenced Jackson Hopper to 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend, Ellie Young, during a cancer charity walk in 2024. Hopper pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors. The ruling came during a hearing in Shelby County.
Shelby County Judge Carlyn L. Addison imposed the 40-year sentence on Jackson Hopper, a 28-year-old man, after he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old medical student Ellie Young. Court records confirm the plea deal spared Young's family a full trial. Addison addressed the families directly, stating, 'The devastation for both families is immeasurable. The trauma that will continue is, again, immeasurable.' She accepted the plea to allow healing without further trial pain, as prosecutors noted to spare reliving the killing in court, according to local affiliate WATN.