CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – A man from Iowa is facing charges of first-degree murder and nonconsensual termination of a pregnancy following the death of a pregnant woman, authorities said Tuesday. The suspect, 51-year-old Donnie White, was accused of killing 38-year-old Brittany Hopkins, whose body was found wrapped in a comforter inside a shopping cart.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department reported that officers responded to a call on the morning of February 28 regarding a deceased person outside an apartment complex on Westdale Drive SW, about 115 miles east of Des Moines. Upon arrival, first responders identified the deceased as Hopkins and secured the area for a thorough investigation.
Police announced a homicide investigation three days later and sought public assistance for any witness information. White was identified as a suspect, and with the help of the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, authorities tracked his movements.
White had reportedly fled Iowa after Hopkins’ death, prompting coordination with the U.S. Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force. On March 14, officers in Las Vegas located White in the 2900 block of West Washington Avenue. He surrendered to authorities without resistance and was held awaiting extradition back to Iowa.
Court documents reveal grim details of the investigation. Hopkins’ body was wrapped in a white blanket with black electrical tape and covered with trash bags. An autopsy concluded that she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
The investigation further revealed that witnesses had spotted White with Hopkins days before her body was discovered. Surveillance footage from a local mall from February 22 showed the two together. Another source reported hearing White physically assault Hopkins on February 27.
Authorities discovered that White lived just a block from where Hopkins’ body was disposed of. A search revealed wheel marks from a shopping cart leading from White’s apartment to the building’s exit, coinciding with surveillance footage showing White pushing a cart on February 27.
Inside White’s apartment, investigators found blood spatter on the walls and bleach stains on the carpet. A hammer found at the scene was stained with what seemed to be blood and human hair. Additionally, a bloody handprint matched White’s.
White has been extradited back to Iowa and is currently held in the Linn County Jail on a $2.5 million cash-only bond. The case underscores the cooperation between state and federal agencies in apprehending fugitives who cross state lines.