Man accused of killing Fort Collins teen faced prior domestic violence allegation

Sady Swanson, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·6 min read

Editor's note: This story contains references to domestic violence. Information about domestic violence warning signs and resources for those in crisis is available at the end of this story.

The man accused of killing his 18-year-old girlfriend outside a south Fort Collins apartment complex faced a prior domestic violence allegation involving the victim, prosecutors said during an evidence hearing Wednesday.

Danielle Hopton died Feb. 7, 2021, at UCHealth's Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland after law enforcement and emergency medical personnel found her suffering from life-threatening injuries in a parking lot of an apartment complex in the 500 block of East Drake Road just after 11 p.m. the night prior.

Hopton's ex-boyfriend, now 22-year-old Stephen McNeil, was arrested the same day on suspicion of Hopton's homicide and has been charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors from the 8th Judicial District Attorneys Office on Wednesday presented evidence they believe proves McNeil killed Hopton, including information about a prior domestic violence case in which McNeil was charged with second-degree assault and misdemeanor harassment against Hopton in connection to a December 2020 incident.

A court order barring McNeil from contacting Hopton was in place at the time of Hopton's death, according to prosecutors. But the defense argued that evidence shows Hopton chose to hang out with McNeil the night of her death and that the two were getting along and even flirting shortly before she died.

At the conclusion of Wednesday's hearing, Judge Stephen Jouard ruled that enough evidence existed to continue to charge McNeil in Hopton's killing and hold him without bond. McNeil is next scheduled to appear in court Dec. 12.

Here's the evidence discussed in Wednesday's hearing:

What Fort Collins police say led to Danielle Hopton's death

Hopton and McNeil were with three others the night Hopton died.

McNeil used a friend’s vehicle to pick up Hopton so her parents wouldn’t know they were together. There was a court order in place preventing McNeil from contacting Hopton due to an ongoing case alleging that McNeil physically assaulted Hopton in December 2020.

Surveillance video from a few west Fort Collins stores showed McNeil and Hopton together, often holding hands or hugging, Fort Collins police detective Tessa Jakobsson testified. In one of the the surveillance videos, Hopton is seen wearing McNeil's jacket.

After stopping at a few stores, the group drove to one of their apartments and hung out in the car in the parking lot. Jakobsson said McNeil and Hopton exchanged a few Snapchat messages while they were sitting in the car with the others, discussing their relationship, and McNeil asked Hopton in one of the messages to step out of the car to talk.

The three others in the car at the time later told police they weren't sure exactly how long Hopton and McNeil were out there before they heard "a scream and a thud," Jakobsson said. The three told investigators McNeil came back to the car, said something about Hopton being dead, moved her closer to the vehicle and then fled the scene.

The three others then said they took the alcohol and drugs they were using up to the apartment before returning to the parking lot and call 911. Based on what one of the men told investigators, Jakobsson estimated it was at least three minutes from when McNeil allegedly left the scene until the others called for help.

Stephen McNeil faced prior domestic violence allegation involving Hopton

McNeil also faces charges in a separate domestic violence case alleging he assaulted and harassed Hopton in December 2020.

Hopton spoke with a Fort Collins police officer on the morning of Dec. 25, 2020, reporting that McNeil had strangled her a few days prior because she refused to have a conversation with him about their relationship, per the officer's body camera footage played in court.

Hopton told the officer she broke up with McNeil the night of Dec. 24, and McNeil proceeded to send her more than 100 texts and call her more than 75 times, Hopton told the officer.

Hopton said McNeil also changed the password of her Snapchat account and was sending inappropriate photos of Hopton to other men.

The prosecution described Hopton and McNeil's relationship being in the cycle of violence, cycling through abusive phases and phases of calm.

Defense casts doubt on witnesses

The three others who were with McNeil and Hopton the night she died were not initially forthcoming with police, Jakobsson said.

At first, the group told police they didn't know who she was and just found her bleeding on the ground in the parking lot, Jakobsson said, which made it difficult to identify Hopton initially.

One of the men had an outstanding warrant for his arrest at the time, Jakobsson said. They were all worried about getting in trouble for drinking and using drugs, so they were initially not honest with police, Jakobsson said.

Eventually they all told investigators a similar story, Jakobsson said: McNeil and Hopton seemed to be acting "flirtatious" all night, and at one point while they were all hanging out in the car in the parking lot of the apartment complex, they got out to talk. The men in the car told police they heard a scream and a thud, but didn't think it was anything serious, Jakobsson said. They said McNeil came back to the car and said something about his girlfriend being dead and he was worthless before he left the parking lot.

The defense questioned the witnesses' reliability because they were not initially forthcoming with police. One of the witnesses, Ian Rayas, was sentenced earlier this year for attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony, for providing false information to police during this investigation.

In Rayas' sentencing hearing in February, he said he was sorry he "made the wrong choices" and he lied because "I was scared."

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

Domestic violence warning signs

Domestic violence is a pattern of abuse that can include physical, sexual, emotional, verbal and financial elements where the abuser's conscious or unconscious goal is to gain or maintain control. There are not always physical signs of abuse.

Girls and young women ages 16-24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.

Early warning signs of an abusive partner include:

  • Controlling behavior

  • Guilt trips

  • Threats

  • Intimidation

  • Isolation

  • Jealousy

  • Name-calling

  • Manipulation

  • Explosive temper

  • Mood swings

  • Checking your cellphone or email without permission

Help for people in crisis

If you or someone you care about is in a domestic violence situation, call Crossroads Safehouse's 24/7 helplines, which are staffed by trained advocates: 970-482-3502 or 888-541-7233 (toll free). You can also call Alternatives to Violence at 970-669-5150.

Other available resources for people in crisis include:

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Stephen McNeil accused of assaulting Danielle Hopton before her murder