Man Beat Girlfriend’s Friend To Death And Left Her 4-Year-Old Daughter Clinging To Life For Providing A “Cover Story”

A man in Kansas City allegedly beat his girlfriend’s friend to death and left her 4-year-old daughter clinging to life after his girlfriend used her friend as an alibi in a bogus “cover story.”

24-year-old Jose E. Escalante-Corchado now faces a first-degree murder charge and a slew of other charges for brutally beating his girlfriend’s friend, 24-year-old Mackenzie Hopkins, to death and leaving her 4-year-old daughter near death over the weekend.

According to an affidavit, investigators discovered Escalante-Corchado’s alleged role in the violent attack by chance when they linked the distinct impressions left from a popular cowboy boot brand in the victim’s blood at the crime scene to a pair of the same style boots at the home of Hopkins’ friend.

That friend, who had not been identified, then admitted to detectives that the boots belonged to her boyfriend, Jose Escalante-Corchado.

The woman also told investigators that she had “told Escalante she was going to be with the victim the evening of 1-14-2022 when she was going out.” However, “this was a cover story, and she did not plan on being with the victim,” the police affidavit explained.

Cops say they also found surveillance video that showed Escalante-Corchado in his truck near the victim’s home, though he denied any involvement in the woman’s murder.

When questioned by the police, Escalante-Corchado could not explain why surveillance cameras showed him sitting in his truck near Hopkins’ home for 2 hours. He also unwittingly revealed a motive to authorities for why he would brutally assault the 4-year-old girl, telling cops he once “helped the victim move in her house and stated the victim’s daughter would know who he was.”

Hopkins was found dead in her bathtub during a wellness check, and her 4-year-old daughter is still in ICU clinging to life because of “severe blunt force trauma to her head.”

Hopkins family is praying that the toddler survives her injuries and has started a gofundme in their daughter’s memory.