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WDOD's Mike King On The Decision Not To Retry Football Star Bobby Hoppe For Murder

  • Monday, March 29, 2021

One of Chattanooga's most famous criminal trials finally ended with a mistrial, then the state chose not to retry famed football player Bobby Hoppe.

The Auburn football star was finally charged with the murder of a man who was allegedly mistreating his sister.

The charges had been brought after a minister came forward, saying Hoppe had confessed the crime to him soon after the murder.

The jury came back 10 in favor of acquittal and two in favor of conviction.

Hoppe was represented by Bobby Lee Cook and Leroy Phillips, and Tom Evans was the prosecutor.

Here is newsman Mike King reporting on WDOD on July 28, 1988, on the decision by District Attorney General Gary Gerbitz not to retry. 

The tape was saved by newsman Earl Freudenberg. 

Click here to listen.

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