Judge Reduces Sentence in 2001 Fatal Kidnapping Case

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gregory Sampson granted defense counsel Lisa Sansone’s motion to modify her client’s sentence on Jan. 17. 

Judge Sampson modified Kevin Darrell Vaughn‘s sentence to life, suspending all 30 years, with five years supervised probation for first-degree murder. 

On Feb. 26, 2003, Vaughn, 38, was found guilty of first-degree felony murder, kidnapping, carjacking, second-degree arson, and conspiracy to commit second-degree arson in October 2001. According to court documents, the victim, Marlin Hopkins, was grabbed by three men and forced into the trunk of his vehicle.

After Hopkins was in the trunk, the three men got into the victim’s vehicle while the defendant drove away. The defendant later pulled over as the three men got out of their vehicle, opened the trunk, and fatally shot the victim.

Hopkins then proceeded to drive the vehicle to another location and set it on fire.