East St. Louis man pleads guilty to murder of Illinois State Trooper Nicholas Hopkins

An East St. Louis man has again pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2019 shooting death of Illinois State Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, who was killed in the line of duty at age 33.

Christopher R. Grant, 49, pleaded guilty in St. Clair County Circuit Court on Wednesday, according to a news release from State’s Attorney James Gomric’s office.

“Grant entered a plea of guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 37 years of incarceration, including time served during the pendency of the case,” the news release stated. “Grant would not be eligible for parole until he is 82 years old.”

That’s because Grant already had pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the same case, and a federal judge handed down a sentence requiring him to serve 34 years in prison.

“On the day that this tragic event happened, I said that justice would be done unto those responsible,” Gomric stated. “Justice was done today. This is effectively a life sentence. The disposition was reached with the approval of Whitney Hopkins, the widow of Nicholas Hopkins, and command staff for the Illinois State Police.

“This office recognizes the sacrifice of Nick and his fellow members of law enforcement, and the sacrifice of their families, like Whitney. She and all of law enforcement are always in our thoughts and prayers.”

Hopkins, of Waterloo, was shot and killed on Aug. 23, 2019, while trying to execute a state search warrant at Grant’s house in East St. Louis.

Wednesday’s news release outlined the sequence of events:

• Grant was being investigated by the Illinois State Police for alleged distribution of marijuana and crack cocaine.
• It was learned that Grant was distributing these drugs from his house on North 42nd Street in East St. Louis.
• On this information, a search warrant was granted by a St. Clair County Circuit Court judge.
• Illinois State Police, utilizing the ISP SWAT Team, initiated execution of the search warrant on belief that Grant maintained a cache of weapons inside the home.
• In the early morning of Aug. 23, 2019, Trooper Hopkins and two other SWAT Team members went onto the porch to connect chains to steel bars, securing the front door.
• Grant opened fire on the troopers with a 9-mm handgun, firing three rounds.
• Hopkins was struck in the head by one of the rounds, which had passed through the home’s main entry door.
• Troopers returned fire and rushed to Hopkins to provide aid.
• Hopkins was transported to Saint Louis University Hospital, where life-saving efforts were attempted.
• Hopkins was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2019.
• The following day, Gomric’s office filed an initial complaint against Grant in St. Clair County Circuit Court.
• On Sept. 13, 2019, a grand jury indicted Grant on three counts of first-degree murder and other crimes associated with possession of weapons and drug distribution.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the U.S. District Court’s Southern District of Illinois later requested and a federal grand jury returned a multi-count indictment of Grant.
• On July 9, 2021, Grant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to Hopkins’ murder in furtherance of a federal drug-trafficking crime.
• On Nov. 9, 2021, a federal judge imposed a sentence requiring Grant to serve 34 years in prison.
• Appearing in St. Clair County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Grant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 37 years of incarceration.

Under Illinois law, Grant isn’t entitled to statutory good-time credit for the crime of first-degree murder, so he will serve his state court sentence after finishing his federal court sentence, according to the news release.

Gomric thanked the Illinois State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the U.S. District Court’s Southern District of Illinois and other agencies and departments that assisted with the investigation of a “senseless murder.”

He also thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Jason Emmanuel and Daniel Lewis, former Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Conner and other prosecutors who helped with the case.

This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 2:45 PM.