Staff Report / October 26, 2025
HORSEHEADS, N.Y. — A Chemung County grand jury has handed down serious charges against a Horseheads man accused in the death of 3-year-old Finn Hopkins earlier this year.
Prosecutors say 27-year-old Christopher M. Woods faces counts including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, and two charges of endangering the welfare of a child. The indictment alleges Woods inflicted repeated blows on the child on Sept. 15, 2025, resulting in fatal head injuries. Investigators also say he failed to get medical help in time to save the boy’s life.
Authorities report Woods brought the toddler to Arnot Ogden Medical Center after finding him unresponsive, where medical teams were unable to revive him. Hospital staff alerted Child Protective Services when they observed suspicious injuries on Hopkins and a younger sibling, prompting an investigation that led to Woods’ arrest that same day.
Woods remains charged as the case proceeds through the court system.
