Man gets 42 years for killing wife in Carbondale

A Missouri man has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for murdering his wife last year in Carbondale.

State's Attorney Joseph Cervantez says Gregory Hopkins, 30, was sentenced last week for first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, 26-year-old Gloria Hopkins, in January 2023.

On Jan. 4, 2023, Carbondale Police responded to the 1100 block of East College Street. Investigators determined Gloria Hopkins was the victim of a domestic violence incident with her husband, Gregory Hopkins, who subsequently fled Carbondale and traveled to the Los Angeles area.

Los Angeles Police Department officers located Hopkins, and he was brought back to Jackson County to await trial. On Sept. 27, 2023, just four days before trial, Hopkins pled guilty to first-degree murder. On May 2, 2024, after a contested sentencing hearing, Hopkins was sentenced to 42 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He will serve 100% of his sentence.