Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 8-27-21

Memoriam
Crime
Man Cleared Of Robbery After 30 Years In Prison
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF
BERNICE M. LUCAS-PEPPERS Sunrise: February 28, 1940 Sunset: July 18, 2021
Remembering Bernice:
Bernice Matilda Lucas-Peppers was born on February 28, 1940 in Tampa, Florida, and attended Middleton High School. While in high school, her favorite subject was English, hence he passion for poetry writing throughout her life. Aside from Eng- lish, Bernice enjoyed being on her high school drill team, the string orchestra and reading books.
St. Clair Lucas, Sr. and Hattie Barnes-Lucas were the apples of her eyes. She loved her parents dearly. As the eldest, Bernice is followed by Verna Lucas, St. Clair Lucas, Jr., Jeraldine Lucas, and Reginald Lucas. She said goodbye to Tampa, Florida, when she married Air Force Airman Melvin Peppers, Jr., and served as an Air Force wife for 25 years.
The mother of five prayed over her children: Melvin Peppers, III, Kevin Dale Peppers, Donna Deloris Peppers, Michael Angelo Peppers and David Bryan Peppers constantly.
As a friend to many in the North Highlands area, “mom,” as many were comfortable enough to call her, was available to com- fort a listening ear, talk to, mentor, pray with, laugh with and nurture.
Many in the Sacramento, CA community might remember her smiling face when they purchased jewelry from her counter at the local K-Mart, or were lucky enough to have received one or many of her hat designs, doll creations, or her foot jewelry that she delicately strung together.
Bernice was an advocate for mental health awareness, espe- cially in children. When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she would request a donation to a charity in her name. She did not like seeing homelessness, so on an occasion, she purchased many sleeping bags and provided them to the less fortunate.
Bernice was a homecare nurse as well as the creative mind and Director behind the first ever Howard Air Force Base Drill Team.
She traveled the world visiting and living in places such as Spain, Canada, London, Paris, Panama, Mexico, the Caribbean, and several U. S. states. She loved traveling. Other favorite past- times included collecting angels, music boxes, stuffed bears, and her morning cup of coffee or tea, coupled with the morning paper, followed by a sporadic call to various family when she would tell the joke of the day or just ask, “how are you?”
Unfortunately, on July 18, 2021, surrounded by family, after battling a long illness, she was called home to claim her place in heaven next to her son, Kevin, father, St. Clair, Sr., mother, Hat- tie, sister, Verna, brother, St. Clair, Jr., and sister, Virginia.
She devoted her life to the Lord and is survived by four of her five children; 15 grandchildren, seven great-grandchilden; and best friend, Charles Hamilton of 30 years, as well as members of her extended Peppers and Lucas family, sister, Jeraldine Lucas- Heriveaux, and brother, Reginald Lucas, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and her pooch, Chica.
The family asks that you honor her legacy by being kind, do- nate to a charity, live in the moment, forgive each other, be thoughtful and supportive to everyone, and stay engaged in your church and community... also find moments to have fun and em- brace the child in you.
As the days come and go, we will mourn and keep her spirit alive via our memories and will forever have her in our hearts, prayers and stories.
A Tampa man is walking free 30 years after being wrongly identified in a rob- bery case.
The conviction of Tony Hopps was Monday after an investigation by Hillsborough County State Attorney An- drew Warren found major problems with how the case was handled.
The Innocence Project of Florida was also involved in clearing Hopps.
Hopps was sentenced to life in prison for armed rob- bery. He was accused of hold- ing up an elderly couple at the Tahitian Inn back in Jan- uary 1990.
The conviction hinged on a photo line-up that was crit- icized by Innocence Project of Florida executive director
TONY HOPPS
Seth Miller. An older pic- ture was used of Hopps which showed him with a moustache. At the time of the crime, Hopps had a beard.
Later, there was other ev- idence that came out that
corroborated Hopp’s alibi, meaning that it was impossi- ble for him to be at the scene of the crime.
The Conviction Unit in the Hillsborough State Attor- ney’s Office is led by Assis- tant State Attorney Teresa Hall. The unit did the work to review the case and discov- ered the issues that lead to Hopp’s release.
State Attorney An- drew Warren states, “Our system makes mistakes sometimes. That’s the unfor- tunate truth. And it’s a prose- cutor’s job to be part of the solution. Rather than just shrug our shoulders when we become aware of a problem, we should be proactive about fixing it. That’s exactly what we did here.”
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