John William Hopkins

Serial Killer

John William Hopkins: The Mohawk Valley Ripper

Early Life

John William Hopkins was born on June 3, 1953, in Johnstown, New York. Details about his early life are scarce, but it is known that during his adolescence, he aspired to join the state police, a goal he eventually abandoned. Friends and acquaintances noted his penchant for cruising along the New York State Thruway, often visiting college towns in his Chevy Nova. He was known to wear a cowboy hat and a military coat, attempting to impersonate a trooper. Additionally, he had an unsettling fascination with knives, frequently carrying several in various sheaths.

Crimes

John William Hopkins, infamously known as "The Mohawk Valley Ripper," was an American serial killer and kidnapper who terrorized New York's Mohawk Valley region from 1972 to 1978. His criminal activities included the abduction, rape, and murder of at least three women. He was convicted for two of these murders during his lifetime and was serving two 25-year-to-life sentences until his suicide in 2000.

Victims

• Joanne Pecheone
  • Age: 19
  • Date of Abduction: January 12, 1972
  • Location: East Utica, New York
  • Details: Joanne was abducted while walking through a secluded wooded path toward her apartment. Hopkins bound and gagged her, cut off her bra with a knife, raped her, and then stabbed her multiple times. He fled the scene after being startled by a boy on a snowmobile, who later discovered Joanne's body and alerted authorities. One of the first responders, Lt. Raymond Pecheone, was Joanne's uncle and had to be removed from the case due to the familial connection. Despite eyewitness accounts, Hopkins was not initially considered a suspect, and the case went cold.
• Cecelia Genatiempo
  • Age: 17
  • Date of Abduction: Night of July 24-25, 1976
  • Location: Gloversville, New York
  • Details: Cecelia was kidnapped from a donut shop by Hopkins, who then drove her to an isolated section of railroad tracks in Mohawk. There, he raped and stabbed her multiple times before burying her in a shallow grave. Her decomposed body was discovered three months later by hunters.
• Sherrie Ann Carville
  • Age: 17
  • Date of Abduction: October 22, 1978
  • Location: Johnstown, New York
  • Details: Sherrie was abducted from a bar in Johnstown. Hopkins took her to his father's property, where he raped and stabbed her multiple times, leaving her body in a field. Her remains were discovered a year later. Initially, another man, Albert J. Baird, was arrested after allegedly confessing to the crime but was released after six months when authorities cleared him of suspicion.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Joanne Pecheone Age: (19), Date of Death: 1972-01-12

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Suspected Victims:

Katherine Kolodziej Age: (17), Date of Death: 1974-11-02

Survivors:

Northville Girl Age: (15), Date of Attack: 1979-08-15

John W. Hopkins

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