In February 2025, the Cedar Rapids community in Iowa was shaken by a chilling discovery.
Brittany Hopkins, a 38-year-old pregnant woman, was found dead—her body wrapped in a blood-soaked comforter and placed inside a shopping cart.
Court documents have now revealed the heartbreaking and graphic details about her final days.
On February 28, 2025, police responded to a report of a deceased person near 2110 Westdale Drive SW.
What they found was truly disturbing—Brittany Hopkins’ body was hidden under bags of trash, wrapped in a white comforter soaked in blood, and tied up with electrical tape.
An autopsy later confirmed that Brittany Hopkins died from blunt-force injuries to her head.
Criminal investigators also shared that she was pregnant when she was killed, making the tragedy even more heartbreaking.
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| Brittany Hopkins |
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Brittany Hopkins
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After preliminary investigations, police quickly identified Donnie Danell White, a 51-year-old man from Cedar Rapids, as a suspect.
According to Law&Crime, White was in a relationship with the victim at the time.
Additionally, surveillance video from the Westdale Town Center parking lot captured the two together on February 22, 2025.
A witness also told police that they saw White assault Hopkins on February 26—just two days before her body was found.
As the investigation continued, police searched Donnie Danell White’s apartment at 4215 21st Avenue SW— which is just a short walk from where Hopkins’ body was found.
Inside, they discovered a disturbing crime scene:
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Blood spatter on the walls
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Bleach stains on the carpet, shaped like a human body
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A hammer and a broken CO2 air gun, both with blood and hair on them
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Black electrical tape, the same kind used to tie up Hopkins
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A bloody handprint that matched White’s
The overwhelming evidence painted a horrifying picture of what may have happened inside that apartment.
After the alleged crime, Donnie Danell White fled Cedar Rapids, but the U.S. Marshals Service eventually tracked him down in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested him on March 19, 2025.
He was brought back to Iowa, where he faced charges of first-degree murder and nonconsensual termination of pregnancy.
His bail was set at a staggering $2.5 million cash-only.
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| Donnie Danell White’s arrest |
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| Donnie Danell White |
Brittany Hopkins was a mother of three—a 14-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a toddler just shy of 2.
In an online fundraiser, her grieving family described her as a loving mother whose children now face life without her,
as per PEOPLE.
“They now have to learn to live without the woman that provided them life,” her mother wrote.
She also added that Hopkins had been “fearing for her life” before her death.
Additionally, the family also expressed concerns that she might have been a victim of human trafficking.
According to Law&Crime, Donnie Danell White later pleaded guilty to other lesser charges and he was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 35 years.
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