Murder of Naomi Smith

In 2019, the Crime+Investigation Channel commissioned a second series of its production called Murdertown, which involved the close up investigation of a murder's impact on local communities. One of those ten episodes investigated the murder of Naomi Smith in Nuneaton.

In 2010, solicitors representing Edwin Hopkins made an application under section 276 and paragraph 3 of Schedule 22 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to have his minimum term reviewed, even though he was just now three years short of his earliest possible parole date. The Hon. Mr Justice King who reviewed the tariff, stated in his report dated 15 July 2010 that "the minimum term in this case is to be specified as 18 years", keeping the original tariff set by the Home Secretary. Since 2019, he is in process to be moved to an open prison due to good behavior. In 2021 he was moved to an open prison

In 2010 the case was the subject of an episode dramatising true crimes in a series called Cold Blood. The episode itself was called Close to Home and was originally broadcast in Canada. The series has since been rebranded for the European audience and has been shown on documentary channels including Discovery Channel and Investigation Discovery. The series, renamed TrueCSI was shown on Channel 5 in the UK in September 2012 and features interviews with Smith’s father Brian Smith and Tony Bayliss who led the investigation and forensic psychologist Paul Britton.

Edwin Hopkins has always maintained his innocence regarding the murder. In February 2004, some doubt was cast over Hopkins' conviction when a local man named Andrew Dexter was convicted of the torture and murder of his girlfriend Sharon Franklin. It emerged that Dexter had been questioned at the time of Naomi Smith's murder but released without charge. Despite this, police confirmed that the case would not be reopened and that Hopkins had been convicted on solid evidence.

In 2004, ITV Central television commissioned four, half-hour documentary films covering significant cases in the Midlands region. The series was titled, To Catch A Killer and was originally broadcast in August 2004.

In 2001, the case was featured in a five-week run of documentary films produced by the BBC called, Catching the Killers. The series was originally broadcast on BBC2. Solicitor, criminal Barrister and author, James Morton wrote a companion book of the same title to accompany the series.

In 1998, forensic psychologist Paul Britton wrote about his experiences during the case in his book, The Jigsaw Man. The book has a whole chapter to the case as well as other high-profile cases on which Britton. The case was also featured in a five-part series called Detective Stories hosted by John Stalker in the same year.

Edwin Hopkins, 19, was found guilty of the murder in January 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.

The trial of Edwin Douglas Hopkins began on 22 January 1997 at Birmingham Crown Court.

The eleven-person jury took three and three-quarter hours to deliberate its verdict. Edwin Hopkins was found guilty of the murder of Naomi Smith on 30 January 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was convicted by a 10–1 majority verdict. In sentencing to life imprisonment, the judge made the recommendation that the minimum tariff was set to 20 years, which would keep him in prison until at least November 2015 and the age of 39.

On 6 February 1997, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham, made the recommendation to Home Secretary Michael Howard that the minimum term should be set to 17–18 years. On 20 May 1999, the new Home Secretary, Jack Straw, set Hopkins's minimum term to 18 years, meaning that Hopkins would be eligible for parole by November 2013 and the age of 37.

During the day of 14 September 1995, Smith had been with her best friend Emma Jones at the rehearsals of a local marching band in which Emma played the xylophone. After the rehearsals Smith had been dropped off outside her home and was seen to walk inside.

Early on the morning of 21 September 1995, five local men were arrested on suspicion of murder in co-ordinated early morning raids. The men were taken to Nuneaton police station for questioning. Two of the men were later released on bail, with 36-hour extensions sought to continue questioning the three remaining men. All of the men were later released without charge.

A month after the murder in October 1995, Detective Superintendent Tony Bayliss announced that a DNA profile of the killer had been obtained. In conjunction with forensic psychologist Paul Britton, an offender profile of around 800 local men, aged between 15 and 28 had been produced for DNA mass screening. The police forensic crime scene investigation was led by the Crime Scene Manager, Senior SOCO Paul Taberner, who was responsible for obtaining the DNA sample from Naomi's body.

Although it wasn't the first time DNA evidence had been used to solve a murder (that was in nearby Leicestershire with the conviction of Colin Pitchfork nearly a decade earlier), it was the first time that the Forensic Science Service had carried out a mass DNA screening. The number of DNA samples taken was closer to 135. At the time of the murder, the service had only recently set up the world's first DNA database in April 1995. The forensic work was carried out by forensic scientist Hazel Johnson and a team of forensic scientists based in Wetherby.

On 16 November 1995, four additional arrests were made. As a result of these arrests, one of the men, 19-year-old Edwin Hopkins was charged with the murder of Naomi Smith on the evening of 18 November 1995. Hopkins was held in custody and appeared at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on 20 November 1995. Hopkins spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. His application for bail was refused and he was remanded in custody. The eight other suspects were later eliminated from the inquiry.

Naomi's funeral was held on 18 December 1995 with a ceremony at Chapel End Methodist Church. She was carried from the hearse in a white coffin decorated with flowers. The hearse was decorated with white flowers spelling out her name.

Naomi Louise Smith (4 March 1980 – 14 September 1995) was a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Nuneaton. On the evening of 14 September 1995, Smith left her home to post a letter for her mother at a local post box. When she failed to return, her father Brian Smith and her best friend Emma Jones went out to look for her. Just before midnight, they discovered her body lying beneath the children's slide of a local playground just a few hundred metres from her home. Smith had been sexually assaulted, her throat had been cut, and her genitals mutilated with a knife. She attended Hartshill School.