New Castle man caught; will face charges in Sharon man's death
Jun. 1—SHARON — A New Castle man recently apprehended in North Dakota will face homicide charges in Mercer County for the 2019 shooting death of Sharon resident Khalil "Champ" Hopson.
Seon Dontae Davon Perry, 32, was charged with criminal homicide, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary, and aggravated cruelty to animals in connected with the May 23, 2019, shooting death of 24-year-old Hopson.
Perry was originally charged in June 2021 and recently arrested by federal authorities in North Dakota on drug trafficking charges.
Mercer County District Attorney Peter C. Acker said Perry reportedly used multiple aliases and addresses.
Perry is being returned to the Mercer County Jail by the U.S. Marshals Service and Acker's team will resume attempts to prosecute him for his involvement in the homicide.
When Perry arrives in Mercer County, he will be arraigned before a district judge, bond will be set and a preliminary hearing date will be scheduled.
Two other people have been arrested and convicted in Hopson's homicide.
Eddie James Robinson Jr., 29, Youngstown, Ohio, and Alexis Evonna Holmes, 24, New Castle were arrested in 2019.
Robinson pleaded guilty in June 2021 of third-degree murder, cruelty to animals and perjury for his role in the homicide. He was sentenced to 15 to 45 years in a state prison.
Holmes pleaded guilty in June 2021 to robbery and burglary. She was sentenced to 18 to 40 years in a state prison.
Holmes and Perry are accused of assisting Robinson in the robbery and murder of Hopson. Robinson admitted to being the shooter.
In a prosecution delayed by the COVID pandemic, Sharon police said Holmes, Robinson and Perry conspired to rob Hopson of several thousand dollars they believed he had in his Cedar Avenue home.
Police arrived on the morning of May 23, 2019, at Hopson's home, 1239 Cedar Ave., to find Hopson in his kitchen bleeding from a gunshot wound. Hopson's pet dog, a pit bull named Blue, had also been shot.
Hopson, a 1,000-point scorer for the Sharon High School basketball team who later played at Penn State DuBois, died later that day in a Youngstown hospital. Blue died a few days later from his injuries.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Suspects are considered innocent until found guilty by a jury or adjudicated in court.
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
