On Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, Jerry Hopper pled guilty in the Polk County Circuit Court to Murder in the Second Degree for killing Erin “Pepper” Marburger.
Jerry Hopper murdered Erin Marburger on Apr. 2, 2020. He dumped her body in a wooded area west of Hatfield on Apr. 3, 2020. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the 18th West Drug Task Force jointly investigated Erin’s disappearance for over two years, culminating in the recovery of Erin’s partial skeleton in 2022. The Arkansas State Crime lab later confirmed that the bones recovered belonged to Erin Marburger.
Debra Buschman, Prosecuting Attorney said, “The Sheriff and his team as well as the Drug Task Force exhibited determination and hard work over the course of this multi-years’ investigation to solve the disappearance of Erin Marburger. They worked tirelessly to find the truth and to get justice for Erin and those who loved and cared for her. Although no amount of time spent by the defendant in the penitentiary will ever bring back Erin’s life, or adequately repay him for taking Erin’s life from her, I was pleased with the sentence my team was able to get in this case given that Erin’s cause of death could not be determined due to the poor condition of her remains, most of the witnesses were extremely reluctant to share information with investigators, and one witness had passed away before investigation in the case was complete. These kinds of cases are extremely tough. We must take into account all of these factors when we resolve a case, in order to get the most justice we can and to hold the defendant accountable. I am very pleased with the outcome in this case given all these considerations.”
Jerry Hopper was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Murder in the Second Degree is a Class A Felony, with a range of punishment between 6 and 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and the possibility of a fine, not to exceed $15,000.
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