On Thursday, November 15, 2012, in the Circuit Court of Taney County, Judge Mark Orr sentenced STEWART HOPKINS (d/o/b 4-03-1965) to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the crime of murder in the first degree. On September 4, 2012, a Taney County jury had found Hopkins guilty – after six (6) days of trial – of murder in the first degree and armed criminal action, for killing his ex-wife, Stacy Birmingham. Before announcing the sentence, Judge Orr heard a powerful victim impact statement read by the victim’s mother, Judy Boone, on behalf of Stacy’s entire family. Orr also sentenced Hopkins to twenty-five (25) years in prison for the armed criminal action conviction, which he ordered to be served concurrently to the life sentence.

The only possible sentence for which Hopkins was eligible on the first degree murder conviction was life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Taney County Prosecutor did not seek the death penalty in the case against Hopkins.