Captain Robert F. Hopton, Jr.

Robert F. Hopton, Jr.

Captain Robert Hopton and Inspector James Rodgers were killed when their plane crashed while assisting deputies on the ground search for two suspects.

The suspects, who were trespassing on a ranch, matched the description of two men wanted for a home invasion and sexual battery in the same area the previous week. The single-engine Piper L-21-A stalled and crashed into trees just north of Lake Istokpoga. The men they were searching for were charged with trespassing and narcotics violations, but were determined not to be connected to the earlier incident.

Captain Hopton had served in law enforcement for 22 years. He is survived by wife, son, and two daughters.