In the summer of 2022, the quiet community of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was unsettled by a grim discovery. The body of 36-year-old Andrew Dwayne Hopkins, a local man, was found under a bridge, sparking an intensive investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Friends and family were left to mourn the sudden and violent loss of a man they describe as a good-hearted individual who would do anything for his family.
Born in Tahlequah, he was a father who loved hunting, fishing, and anything that involved the outdoors.
The investigation into the death of Andrew Hopkins soon led authorities to two suspects, Joe Garcia and Michael Clark. An informant reportedly came forward, telling investigators they had seen Hopkins' body inside one of Garcia's commercial buildings. This crucial piece of information prompted investigators to question Garcia. During a second interview, Garcia allegedly confessed to killing Hopkins. The motive, according to the confession, was Garcia's discovery that Hopkins had been stealing from him.
According to law enforcement, Garcia confronted Hopkins, which ultimately led to Hopkins being fatally shot. Michael Clark was also taken into custody, accused of assisting in cleaning up the crime scene after the murder. The case took a bizarre turn when Garcia allegedly told investigators that the murder weapon, a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, had vanished. He reportedly concocted a story that he had thrown it into the back of a random, passing pickup truck without the driver's knowledge, a claim that investigators met with skepticism. Authorities believed it was more likely that the shotgun was disposed of with Hopkins' body, but it has yet to be recovered.
