Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Inmates Seek Parole From Pen

Two inmates in the Arkansas Department of Correction from Prescott are being considered for parole at this time.

According to information from the DoC, Kelvin D. Hopson and Jayson Edwards are scheduled to appear before the parole board and be interviewed.

Hopson was sent to the penitentiary in 1995 on charges of residential burglary, theft of property and second degree battery, while Edwards pled guilty on two charges of rape and two of incest, also in 1995.

Hopson, 31, first went to court in mid-February 1995 on charges of residential burglary and theft of property.

He pled guilty to both charges, telling the court he had broken a window in a residence on Third Street, went in and took a videocassette recorder and a video game player.

The video game player was later found by John W. Teeter, while Hopson still had the VCR in his possession.

He actually turned himself in, as he was already a suspect in the case. He told the officers involved he had been drinking heavily and smoked three or four cigarettes laced with crack cocaine.

The judge gave him five years probation and ordered restitution for the damage to the house and items stolen, along with court costs.

He was also informed a violation of the probation agreement could net him a stretch in the pen of five to 20 years and a possible fine up to $15,000 on the class D felony.

Less than a week later, Hopson was being sought due to an altercation at the High Meadows apartment complex.

He was spotted in the Shell Super Stop parking lot by officer Teddy Rocole, who called for backup with Walt DeYoung responding.

The two talked with Hopson about the High Meadows incident, and noted he had a cut under his left jaw and was muddy. However, Hopson denied having been in a fight.

DeYoung and Rocole decided to let him go and returned to the Prescott Police Department to do the required paperwork. But, Hopson walked by the PPD a little later on and began talking in a loud voice.

He was told to be quiet and go home by the two officers. Yet, as he approached the intersection of West Elm and Second streets, he started yelling and swearing.

This prompted the officers to get into a patrol car and look for him. They found him on the porch of a house on West Third Street. Hopson first said the house belonged to his uncle, then said was his father-in-law's place.

He was knocking at the door and yelling at the time. When the officers attempted to arrest him, he fought back, biting DeYoung on the right thumb and middle finger of the right hand. Rocole wound up with a bruised jaw from the scuffle.

Hopson was placed under arrest and charged with disorderly conduct and second degree battery.

This attack led to the revocation of Hopson's probation and being sentenced to do five years in the pen.

The actual sentence was five years for residential burglary, five years for theft of property and 30 months for second degree battery to be served concurrently.

In the case of Edwards, he was sentenced to 10 years as the child's mother agreed to a plea arrangement to keep the child from having to go through the ordeal of a jury trial.

Edwards pled guilty to the rape and incest with a member of his family, who became pregnant from the incident and had the pregnancy terminated.

The victim was 12-years-old at the time the rapes occurred.

According to court records, the two were watching television at his mother's house when he began fondling the child. She walked away but was called back by him.

At this time, he pulled her on top of him, unbuttoned his pants and pulled hers down, forcing himself on her. The first incident occurred in either April or May 1995.

The second happened in July, when the two were again alone watching TV when he attacked her.

The child's mother noticed something was wrong with her daughter as the young girl was throwing up and had missed a couple of menstrual cycles.

The mother knew these to be symptoms of pregnancy, but didn't think this was possible as the child had never been left alone with anyone other than her uncle.

The child was taken to a local doctor, with tests revealing she was, indeed, pregnant.

When questioned as to how it happened, the child revealed the entire sordid story, saying she had been afraid to tell anyone because she didn't think they would have believed her.

The uncle was questioned by the child's mother and initially denied the allegations. He was later arrested and entered into a plea agreement as the mother of the victim wanted to spare the child the agony of a public trial.

Rape is a class Y felony carrying a possible sentence of 10 to 40 years or life in prison.

Both Hopson and Edwards are being considered for parole at this time.