KANSAS CITY, KS - On January 18, police arrested Jose Escalante-Corchado, 28, three days after the body of 24-year-old Mackenzie Hopkins was found in her Wabash Street home. Her 4-year-old daughter was also discovered suffering from a severe beating.
In a press release, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Baker, stated:
According to court records, Kansas City police were dispatched on Jan. 15, 2022 to the 7300 block of Wabash to check the welfare of a resident. Officers discovered a 24-year-old victim deceased in a bathtub and a 4-year-old who suffered severe trauma to her head. The child remains in critical condition.
A previous 911 call had come that day from the victim's phone number. Blood was found throughout the residence's main floor. Police found the print of a specific type of boot and later found a matching pair of boots that were identified as belonging to the defendant. Detectives found that the defendant's truck was in the area of the crime scene on the day of the crime. He acknowledged he knew the victim and her daughter.
An autopsy determined that Hopkins died due to “blunt force trauma injuries” to her face and head.
Escalante-Corchado has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He is currently being held at the Jackson County Detention Center without bond.
*While this crime has received widespread local media coverage, not one media outlet has reported on the suspect’s immigration status.
