Naman Shrestha
When a Pendleton resident named David Fouts was found dead near Noblesville, Indiana, in April 2020, the entire community was left shell-shocked. Initially, mystery shrouded the cause of death, but things became clearer when it was determined that he had poisonous mushrooms in his body. As the detectives referred to surveillance footage and cell phone records, they uncovered a murderous plot and led them to the perpetrator/s. All the intricate details of the case are explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Mushroom Mystery,’ which also features insightful interviews with David’s loved ones and the officials who helped solve the mystery.
Terry Wayne Hopkins Was a Retired Richmond Police Officer
Born on June 29, 1955, in Richmond, Indiana, Terry Wayne “Hoppy” Hopkins was the son of William James and Mary Jane Shock Hopkins. In his teenage years, he moved to Fountain City with his family, including his siblings — Danny, Cheryl, Carol, and Ronald. He had a passion for music, leading him to join the Northeastern High School Band and Jazz Band as a trumpet player. On June 14, 1975, Terry married Deborah Stratton, with whom he had a son, Jeremy. After graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and the Southern Police Institute, he joined the Richmond Police Department in 1980. After serving the community for more than three decades, Terry retired as a Captain.
Following his retirement, he began working as a caretaker to Glen Gentry, a longtime family friend. Terry eventually formed a close bond with Glen’s daughter, Katrina Fouts, the wife of David Fouts. On April 21, Terry met with Katrina at her home in Noblesville, where she was living separately from David. However, about three hours before meeting her, he stopped at a Harbor Freight store in the afternoon and bought duct tape, six-inch diagonal cutters, microfiber cleaning cloths, cleaning gloves, and utility knives. It was all captured by the store’s security camera. According to cell phone location data, Terry and Katrina were at or near her country house and David’s Pendleton home in the early hours of April 22.
Terry Wayne Hopkins Was Connected to David Fouts’ Homicide Through DNA Evidence
According to the text conversation between the two, Katrina thanked him around 8:30 am that morning: “Thank you for topping off my car fluids last night and taking care of some other things I needed help with.” On April 24, 2020, when a passerby found David’s remains in a ditch in the 21500 block of Overdorf Road near Noblesville, the police notified Katrina about it. She texted Terry: “I can’t breathe right now, can’t believe this is even real. I’m supposed to call the detective back in the morning around 10 a.m. … am beyond devastated, please don’t say anything to Dad. I’m gonna have to tell him myself. Love you.” The investigation into the case led the detectives to Terry, who was brought in for questioning about David’s homicide.
While questioning Terry Wayne Hopkins, the police noticed several scratch wounds and other injuries on his body, including an open wound on his right forearm and a bloody scratch on his face. His chest and other areas were also reportedly bruised. As part of the investigation, the detectives also searched his red Nissan Rogue, where they found a two-way walkie-talkie, which was also found in Katrina’s car, and a box cutter. Upon searching his home, they found zip ties, rubber gloves, rope, tarps, duct tape, and knives. What linked him to David’s killing was his DNA, which was discovered on David’s shirt. Terry’s DNA was also found on a lift cart located in the garage of the Fouts’ country home.
Terry Wayne Hopkins Died Before His Trial
On September 18, 2020, both Terry Wayne Hopkins and Katrina Fouts were arrested for David’s murder. Terry was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and failure to report human remains. According to reports, he ended up admitting to his involvement in the crime and shared details about Katrina’s plot to kill her husband by feeding him poisonous mushrooms. However, a couple of months before his scheduled trial, he passed away on February 3, 2022, at the age of 66.
Read More: David Fouts Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
You must be logged in to post a comment.