In what should have been a day of celebration, 42-year-old Monique Worthy was tragically killed on her birthday, June 29, 2025. The incident, which unfolded at a residence on Levity Street in Columbia, South Carolina, is being investigated as a domestic-related homicide. When Columbia Police Department officers responded to a call that evening around 7 p.m., they discovered Worthy already deceased inside the home from a gunshot wound.
The investigation quickly centered on her boyfriend,
36-year-old Cordera B. Hopkins. Initially named a person of interest, law enforcement soon issued warrants for his arrest. He was considered her companion, and the shooting was deemed an isolated domestic incident. Worthy's 21-year-old daughter was reportedly present in the home at the time of the shooting, adding another layer of tragedy to the event. Family and neighbors remembered Worthy as a caring person with a giving heart, often cooking for others and engaging with the neighborhood children.
A few days later, on July 3, 2025, the Columbia Police Department announced the arrest of Cordera B. Hopkins. He was taken into custody and charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Following his arrest, Hopkins was booked into the Richland County Detention Center. While an arrest has been made, investigators have not publicly released a specific motive for the killing.
