Brazos County Jury convicts father accused of abusing twins, leading to death of 6-year-old
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -A Brazos County jury found Justin Hopper guilty Thursday afternoon of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury. Hopper was accused and now convicted of abusing his twin daughters, which ultimately led to the death of 6-year-old Arianna Battelle.
This conviction follows the trial of the twins’ stepmother, Jessica Bundren. In November 2023, Bundren was found guilty of similar charges and was sentenced to life in prison.
Bryan police say the twin girls were repeatedly injured by their father, Justin Joel Hopper, 28, and their stepmother, Jessica Bundren, 40, who reportedly used a belt and homemade wooden paddle to punish the children.
Arianna Battelle was found dead in the couple’s home on October 27, 2020. Court records revealed that the couple used belts and paddles as forms of punishment for the children. During Bundren’s trial, her defense attempted to shift the blame onto Hopper.
Court staff confirmed the sentencing phase for Hopper is expected to begin Thursday afternoon and continue into Friday.
This story is developing and will be updated.
