“Butch” from Ohio sentenced in 1990 murder of roommate in another state; Drove victims vehicle back to Ohio

Carl “Butch” Hoopingarner was sentenced to a sentence of 20 years to life for his involvement in the murder of James D. Bradley in August of 1990.

Investigators from the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office became involved with Hoopingarner when they learned that he was involved in a homicide in Colorado and was traveling back to Guernsey County, Ohio, driving the victim’s vehicle.

On February 20th, 2024, Hoopingarner was located and taken into custody in Buffalo, Ohio. Upon being transported to the Guernsey County Jail, Hoopingarner was interviewed by Guernsey County Sheriff’s Detectives.

During this interview, the Detectives were able to secure a confession to the 1990 homicide of Bradley. Hoopingarner was ultimately charged with Aggravated Murder. On June 27th, the life sentence was imposed by the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court.

Hoopingarner currently has warrants for Murder in the state of Colorado and will be extradited to Colorado if granted parole in the State of Ohio.

Sheriff Paden wanted to extend his deepest appreciation to the Haven of Hope, The Ohio State Fire Marshall’s Office, and the Guernsey County Prosecutors Office for assisting in the resolution of this case. Sheriff Paden stated “When you victimize anyone in Guernsey County, the pursuit of justice is never-ending. These Detectives have worked diligently on this case for several years before finally being able to reach this point and we have shown that the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office will work tirelessly for the victims of crime in Guernsey County”.

Sheriff Paden praised Lt. Sam Williams, Sgt. Bill Patterson and Det. Ryan Patterson for their efforts in bringing long-awaited closure to this case.

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