Mackenzie Hopkins: Missouri man pleads guilty to murder of Kansas City nurse found dead in bathtub

Trigger Warning: This article contains recollection of the crime that may trigger some readers. Discretion is advised.

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Mackenzie Hopkins, a 24-year-old nurse, was found brutally murdered in her Kansas City home on January 15, 2022. Her father, Shannon Hopkins, discovered her lifeless body submerged in a bathtub, prompting him to collapse in shock in the front yard.

Jose E Escalante-Corchado, 32, pleaded guilty to Hopkins' murder and to the first-degree assault of her then-four-year-old daughter Bella, who survived the attack despite sustaining serious injuries. Escalante-Corchado was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his heinous crimes.

Insights into the tragic murder of Mackenzie Hopkins

The disturbing details of the case unfolded as investigators pieced together the events leading up to Hopkins' untimely death. Notably, twelve hours prior, Hopkins dialed 911, where police reported hearing arguing voices on the line, though no one spoke.

However, her body remained undiscovered until that evening when her father requested a welfare check from the authorities. Upon the officers' arrival for the welfare check a few hours later, Hopkins' father tried to unlock the front door with a key, and upon doing so, it revealed a horrifying sight.

"There were several spots on the floor inside the main floor of the residence where large amounts of blood had pooled and there were apparent drag marks in blood where it appeared the victim had been moved," a police affidavit stated. "In different locations, there were shoe impressions in blood," it further stated, reported Daily Mail.

Clues tied suspect Jose E Escalante-Corchado to crime scene

Bloody shoe prints, traced to a specific brand of cowboy boots owned by Escalante-Corchado, were found throughout the crime scene. Surveillance footage also placed his van near Hopkins' residence at the time of the murder.

Further complicating the investigation, it was revealed that Escalante-Corchado's then-girlfriend had used Hopkins as a cover story to conceal her whereabouts for a night out.

 Despite his initial denial of involvement, Escalante-Corchado had no reasonable explanation for his presence in the vicinity of Hopkins' home during the time of the murder.

"It's impossible that this happened this way. She was caring. She was the most loving person," the victim's heartbroken father said. Hopkins' daughter Bella, now 6, resides in Puerto Rico with her father.