Man convicted of burning down Mountain Grove church

Mountain Grove, MO. – A man has been convicted of starting a church fire in Mountain Grove in June 2023.

According to the original report, on June 10, 2023, firefighters from Norwood, Cabool, Houston and Mansfield all extinguished a fire at the Southside Baptist Church, which had been part of the city since 1956. After investigating the fire, The Authorities concluded that the fire had been deliberately set and also found evidence that the church halls had been ransacked before the fire started. The next day, firefighters received a call from a local resident who said she had offered a ride to a man a few blocks away from the fire. She reported that the man refused and said he had just burned down the church.

The man was later identified as James Lee Hopkins, a homeless man who was returning to South Carolina to live with his sister. There were several calls to the police station from individuals stating that Hopkins was intoxicated and wandering neighborhoods. At the first trial, James Hopkins pleaded not guilty to starting the church fire.

At trial on June 3, 2024, he was charged and convicted of second-degree burglary and first-degree arson. He is due to return to court for final sentencing in September 2024.