Ellie Young Case: Shooting, Plea Deal, and $10M Lawsuit

The Ellie Young case ended in April 2026 when Jackson Hopper, the ex-boyfriend charged with first-degree murder in the October 19, 2024, shooting of the 22-year-old University of Tennessee Health Science Center medical student, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and accepted a 40-year prison sentence with no possibility of early release.¹ A separate wrongful death lawsuit against Hopper and his mother is pending, as are criminal charges against seven law enforcement officers connected to Hopper’s arrest.

The Shooting at Shelby Farms Park

Young had been volunteering at the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk at Shelby Farms Park in Shelby County, Tennessee, on the morning of October 19, 2024.² Shortly after the event, 27-year-old Jackson Hopper allegedly fired shots into her Jeep in the Visitor Center parking lot, then fired again as she got out. Surveillance video later showed Hopper shot Young six times. The medical examiner confirmed all six wounds were to the head.¹

Hopper fled the scene, triggering a high-speed pursuit that crossed Tipton, Lauderdale, and Dyer counties. Deputies ended the chase with a PIT maneuver on Highway 51 in Dyer County. Officers reported that Hopper fought them as they took him into custody and recovered a gun from his vehicle.³ During the pursuit, he allegedly tried to run over a Tipton County constable and a Dyer County sergeant who had deployed spike strips.⁴

Who Ellie Young Was

Young grew up in Halls, Tennessee, graduated as her high school’s valedictorian, and was known locally as a standout tennis player. She graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee at Martin before enrolling at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to pursue a medical degree, following her older sister, a doctor.⁵ She was a first-year member of the Memphis Medical Society.⁶ Family attorney Mark S. McDaniel Jr. described her as an “incredible soul” who was “going to make an incredible physician.”¹

How the Criminal Case Was Resolved

Hopper was originally charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty, with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office asking that he be held without bond.² He waived a preliminary hearing on December 10, 2024, and the case moved to a grand jury.⁷

A trial before Judge Carlyn Addison was set for February 9, 2026.⁸ At a motions hearing that day, the judge gave Hopper 48 hours to decide on a plea offer, and on February 11, 2026, he told the court he would proceed to trial, saying he “had no choice.”⁹

Two months later he changed course. On April 15, 2026, Hopper accepted the same 40-year deal he had rejected, pleading guilty to second-degree murder. In court he stated: “I signed for a conviction of murder in the second degree, as sentenced to 40 years with a fine of zero dollars at the location of Tennessee Department of Corrections.”¹ McDaniel confirmed Hopper would serve the full 40 years and said the deal spared the family “the additional trauma of having to get on the stand at trial and having CSI evidence that would, unfortunately, show things that they would never be able to recover from.”¹⁰

Chief Prosecutor Monica Timmerman said she believed a trial would have resulted in a sentence of more than 60 years, but that “no amount of time in prison will ever be enough to achieve justice for Ellie Young,” and that the plea let the family “put this criminal matter behind them.”¹¹ Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called the case “tragic,” telling reporters: “After 49 years of practicing law, it never gets easy.”¹

The $10 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The Young family filed a wrongful death suit on November 5, 2024, seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and naming both Jackson Hopper and his mother, Martha Hopper, as defendants.¹²

The complaint alleges Martha Hopper knew about her son’s “prior violent tendencies” and that he had “engaged in similar dangerous conduct with other girlfriends.” According to the suit, the Young family had discussed seeking an order of protection after Jackson Hopper became “aggressive” and “controlling” toward Ellie in the months before her death, but Martha Hopper’s “false assurances” discouraged them from pursuing one. No restraining order was obtained. The family claims that had his history been disclosed, they would have sought the order and “Ellie would be alive.”¹²

The suit also raised financial concerns. It alleges Jackson Hopper had inherited significant property in Lake County and other Tennessee counties and sold his interest for more than $3 million in April 2024. The family asked the court to prevent both Jackson and Martha Hopper from spending that money on anything beyond ordinary living expenses, citing worry that he could use the funds to post bond and flee.¹²

Officers Charged Over Hopper’s Arrest

Cell phone footage that spread online after Hopper’s capture showed officers pulling him from his wrecked vehicle and using force as they detained him. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI opened investigations at the request of 29th Judicial District Attorney General Danny Goodman.⁴

In February 2025, a Dyer County grand jury indicted six officers from three agencies:

Bryan Lane, 37, and Benjamin Stanifer, 30, of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. Lane was charged with official misconduct, official oppression, and assault; Stanifer with tampering with evidence.
Zachary Antle, 32, of the Mason Police Department, charged with official misconduct, official oppression, and assault.
Dakota Wilkerson, 27, Samuel Chastain, 35, and Matthew Lawler, 29, of the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office. Wilkerson and Chastain were each charged with official misconduct, official oppression, and assault; Lawler with tampering with evidence.

All six were booked into the Dyer County Jail, released on $25,000 bond, and pleaded not guilty.¹³ In June 2025, Larry “Lynn” Waller, a 60-year-old Dyer County deputy who had been the supervising officer at the scene, was indicted on one count of official misconduct for allegedly witnessing excessive force without intervening. He was also released on $25,000 bond.¹⁴ Those cases remain pending.

Charges Still Outstanding Against Hopper

The April 2026 plea covered only the Shelby County murder charge. Hopper still faces charges in Tipton, Lauderdale, and Dyer counties tied to the multi-county chase, including aggravated assault, reckless driving, evading arrest, assault on a first responder, reckless endangerment, failure to stop after an accident involving injury, and vandalism.¹

1
Action News 5. Jackson Hopper Accepts Plea Deal, Admits Murder of Ex-Girlfriend Ellie Young
2
Action News 5. Family, Friends Remember Ellie Young, UTHSC Student Killed at Shelby Farms Park
3
WREG. Tipton County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Murder Suspect’s Arrest Caught on Video
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WREG. Dyer County Deputy Charged With Official Misconduct Following Jackson Hopper’s Arrest
5
WREG. Candlelight Vigil Held for Slain Medical Student in Her Hometown
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Memphis Medical Society. In Memory of Ellie Claire Young
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Action News 5. Family of Ellie Young Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Accused Killer
8
Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Trial Date Set for Man Accused of Killing Ex-Girlfriend at Shelby Farms
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Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Shelby Farms Park Murder Case Update
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WREG. Jackson Hopper Appears in Court
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Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Jackson Hopper Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder
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WREG. Family of Ellie Young Files Lawsuit Against Accused Killer, Mother
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Action News 5. TBI: 6 Law Enforcement Officers Indicted for Alleged Use of Force in Jackson Hopper’s Arrest
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Action News 5. TBI: Supervisor Over Jackson Hopper’s Arrest Scene Charged With Official Misconduct