Victim Studies 021: Raymont Hopewell

on June 25, 2012 in Victim Studies, Victimology by Heather Whitney

Raymont Hopewell was found guilty for murdering five people and raping four women in Baltimore, United States. Hopewell’s murder series began in 1999, at the age of 28, and continued until his arrest in 2005.

Throughout Hopewell’s murder series he was arrested on several charges including burglary, theft and drug possession with intent to sell. He was originally sentenced to two years on probation in 2002, but was later sentenced to eighteen months in prison when he did not fulfill the conditions of his probation. During the time that Hopewell was released on probation he claimed an 88 year old victim. Hopewell was released to a halfway home in 2004, after serving only 3 months in prison. He did not make curfew and a fugitive warrant was issued in September of 2004. It would not be until September of 2005 that Hopewell was arrested, but not before he murdered three more victims, raped a woman, broke into two homes and cut 2 people.

Unlike many serial killers, Hopewell chose to murder the elderly. His victims were between the ages of 60 and 88. Many serial killers who rape their victims do not select the elderly, although they do select those who can be seen as weak or vulnerable. In this case, the victims were selected at random and it is believed that the murders were disorganized more so than they were sexually driven. Many of the victims, including those that survived, had items or valuables stolen from them.

All of his victims were African American, but because the victims were not stalked prior to the attacks there is no way to know if he selected the victims based on race. Hopewell would break into the homes of his victims, attack them and steal their belongings and valuables. Hopewell murdered four females and one male. Each of the victims was bound and then attacked. Each of the female victims was raped prior to their murders. The female victims were strangled to death and the male was strangled and then beaten to death.

The weapons that Hopewell chose to use were found in the homes of the victims. He would take the bus to get to the homes of the victims, which may be one of the reasons that he did not carry the weapon to the scene of the crime. After the murder took place, Hopewell would leave the scene of the crime and made no attempt to hide, position or bury the remains of his victims. Hopewell left a lot of DNA evidence at the crime scenes because he not only raped the victims, but would also stay at the crime scene long enough to leave cigarette butts and used soda cans.

On September 20, 2005, Hopewell was arrested. His arrest occurred after evidence and sketches from a rape victim and others who were stabbed were able to tie him to the crime. Hopewell’s DNA was then connected to the murders and rapes of the elderly victims. Hopewell plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on September 14, 2006.

Sources:

Raymont Hopewell “Money” on The Serial Killer Timelines at Radford.edu

HOPEWELL Raymond on Serial Killer News at Crimezzz.net

Maryland serial killer profile – Raymont Hopewell in the Baltimore Crime Examiner

Raymont HOPEWELL at Murderpedia