Vegas police say suspect confessed killing to friend

The man arrested in connection with the killing of a 67-year-old Las Vegas woman confessed to a friend after her death, Las Vegas police said in a report.

Johnny Hopkins, 50, told his friend and another person that he wanted a ride to a bus station to flee town and that he “screwed up and beat a woman to death because she slapped some drugs out of his hand,” according to an arrest report obtained Tuesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The friend called police about 2 p.m. Saturday and directed them to the Ethel Mae Robinson Senior Apartments, 1327 H St., according to the report.

Connelley Lang’s apartment unit was unlocked. When officers entered, they saw “a large amount of blood spattered throughout the apartment,” police said. Lang’s body was found in the back hallway.

As police canvassed the neighborhood, they located a person who said he purchased a TV from Hopkins for $20 a few days earlier. The neighbor told police that Hopkins was visibly shaken and had blood stains on his pants, according to the report.

Inside the neighbor’s apartment was the TV with the name “Lang” found written in permanent marker on the back and blood that was collected for evidence, police said.

The Clark County coroner found signs of decomposition and determined that Lang was killed 24 to 36 hours before her body was found, according to the report.

Police were notified about 11:20 p.m. Saturday that Hopkins was near the downtown area. He was taken into custody near Seventh Street and Bridger Avenue and told police that he was on his way to turn himself in, according to the report.

A Wells Fargo debit card with Lang’s name on it was found in his wallet, the report said.

It was not immediately clear how Hopkins and Lang knew each other.

Hopkins is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on murder and robbery charges.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.