Stephanie Roper murder
Encyclopedia
The Stephanie Roper murder involved a Frostburg State University
student who in the early 1980s was raped, beaten, shot, set afire, and partially dismembered. Stephanie was home on a college break, and she and a friend were returning from a West End
Washington, D.C.
bar, the "Twenty-Second Amendment" late at night. After dropping her friend off near Clinton, Maryland
, Stephanie proceeded toward her own home in Croom, Maryland
, but steered into a ditch on a dark rural road and was offered a ride by a man and his teenage friend driving by. The two males kidnapped Stephanie and took her to an abandoned farmhouse at Oakville
, St. Mary's County. There she was tortured and raped repeatedly. One of the men called the other by his first name. Afraid now that Stephanie knew his name, they decided to kill her. In order to hinder identification, the murderers burned her body and severed her hands and head. They were captured after the younger man bragged about his part in the crime, and were tried and sentenced to prison by both counties involved. Their relatively lenient sentences, two concurrent life sentences, caused public outrage. In life, Stephanie was a beautiful and talented artist. Her mother, Roberta Roper, has taken on the cause of victim rights, including the right of victims' families to speak to court juries. She actively lobbies and speaks on behalf of victims and crime survivors. She has dedicated her life to the cause and formed the Stephanie Roper Foundation and Committee, now known as the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc.
.
Frostburg State University
Frostburg State University is a four-year university located on a campus in Frostburg, Maryland, in Western Maryland, and is part of the University System of Maryland. FSU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.-History:...
student who in the early 1980s was raped, beaten, shot, set afire, and partially dismembered. Stephanie was home on a college break, and she and a friend were returning from a West End
West End, Washington, D.C.
The West End is a neighborhood of the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., bounded by K Street to the south, Rock Creek Park to the west and north, and New Hampshire Avenue and 21st Street to the east. The West End is so named because it was the westernmost part of the original Pierre L'Enfant...
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
bar, the "Twenty-Second Amendment" late at night. After dropping her friend off near Clinton, Maryland
Clinton, Maryland
Clinton is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the American Civil War. The population of Clinton was 26,064 at the 2000 census. However, as of 2007, there is an...
, Stephanie proceeded toward her own home in Croom, Maryland
Croom, Maryland
Croom is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It consists of tobacco farms and forests with many narrow, winding roads, although the Marlton housing development is very nearby. St. Thomas Episcopal Church dates to colonial times....
, but steered into a ditch on a dark rural road and was offered a ride by a man and his teenage friend driving by. The two males kidnapped Stephanie and took her to an abandoned farmhouse at Oakville
Oakville, St. Mary's County, Maryland
Oakville is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. Sandgates On Cat Creek was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The area was the scene of the murder of Stephanie Roper.-References:...
, St. Mary's County. There she was tortured and raped repeatedly. One of the men called the other by his first name. Afraid now that Stephanie knew his name, they decided to kill her. In order to hinder identification, the murderers burned her body and severed her hands and head. They were captured after the younger man bragged about his part in the crime, and were tried and sentenced to prison by both counties involved. Their relatively lenient sentences, two concurrent life sentences, caused public outrage. In life, Stephanie was a beautiful and talented artist. Her mother, Roberta Roper, has taken on the cause of victim rights, including the right of victims' families to speak to court juries. She actively lobbies and speaks on behalf of victims and crime survivors. She has dedicated her life to the cause and formed the Stephanie Roper Foundation and Committee, now known as the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc.
Crime Victims' Rights Act
The Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004 was named, in part, for Stephanie Roper, whose parents were not notified of trial continuances, were excluded from proceedings, and were prevented from giving a victim impact statementVictim impact statement
A victim impact statement is a written or oral statement made as part of the judicial legal process, which allows a victim of crime the opportunity to speak during the sentencing of their attacker or at subsequent parole hearings. In some instances videotaped statements are...
.