In the quiet Eastern Valley area near Bessemer, Alabama, the day after Thanksgiving in 2017 turned into a scene of tragedy. On the evening of November 24th, Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a residence on Hudson Avenue following a 911 call. Inside, they discovered 66-year-old Janice Hopkins Stamps suffering from a gunshot wound.
She was quickly transported to a local hospital, but her life could not be saved.
The investigation into the death of the female victim revealed a heartbreaking family dispute. Authorities determined that Janice had been involved in a heated argument with her own brother, 62-year-old Thomas 'Tommy' Hopkins. The verbal altercation escalated to a horrifying degree when Tommy Hopkins allegedly retrieved a handgun and shot his sister. When questioned by deputies, he reportedly stated that he shot her because she was yelling at him.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Thomas Hopkins was taken into custody at the scene. He was subsequently charged with murder and booked into the Jefferson County Jail. A bond was set at $75,000. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, leaving friends and neighbors to grapple with the senselessness of a life lost to familial violence on a day typically reserved for gratitude and togetherness.
