Marvinesha Hopkins (Louisville (Ky.) Metro Department of Corrections).
A Kentucky woman is now facing a murder charge after authorities say an alleged domestic violence assault on her boyfriend led to his death days later.
Marvinesha Hopkins, 33, was initially arrested in connection with a June 20 assault after police said she attacked her boyfriend with a board that may have contained nails, Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY reported. The case began as a domestic violence-related assault investigation, but prosecutors added a murder charge after the man died five days later.
Court documents reviewed by the station say Hopkins and her boyfriend were arguing before the confrontation escalated into violence. A witness allegedly told investigators that Hopkins struck the man multiple times with a board, leaving him bleeding from his arm. The witness also said the board may have had nails in it.
Authorities indicated the altercation may not have been entirely one-sided. Hopkins reportedly told police that her boyfriend punched her in the face, and that she responded by hitting him with a glass bottle and a wooden stick.
The man’s injuries were serious enough that he was unconscious when he arrived at the hospital on June 20, according to the report. Medical staff placed him on a ventilator, and he was apparently unable to speak with investigators. Hospital personnel also documented a cut on his head, WLKY reported.
Hopkins was arrested on June 26, one day after her boyfriend died.
The boyfriend’s name has not been publicly released.
Jail records show that Hopkins is currently being held at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections on $500,000 bond. She has hearings scheduled in her assault case for Tuesday and in the murder case for July 6.
