After three years, the case against former Murray State student Jack Epperson concluded with a circuit court judge dismissing the state charges.

In September of 2022, Epperson was arrested for throwing an improvised Molotov cocktail at a group of sorority students following a fight with his ex-girlfriend. The Molotov missed its target, leaving Epperson burned in the process. 

Kentucky State Police arrested Epperson, who was charged with two counts of assault in the first degree, wanton endangerment and federal charges of possession of a destructive/booby trapped device. Epperson pleaded guilty to the federal charges and was sentenced to four months in prison and two years of supervised release. 

On Sept. 15, Calloway County Circuit Court Judge Andrea Moore dismissed the remaining charges against Epperson without prejudice. A reason for dismissal was not given, though the Circuit Court Clerk’s office said it may be due to Epperson serving time in federal custody in Arkansas. According to the Bureau of Prisons inmate search, however, Epperson no longer appears to be in federal custody as of July 11, 2025.

Murray State students were given an opportunity to voice their concerns regarding this case and its dismissal. Many said the charges Epperson faced weren’t enough.

“Just because we’re the friendliest town in America doesn’t mean that our judges should be so friendly,” said Chris Cummins, a freshman computer science major. “To let people get away with stuff like this, I think the sentence should be stricter.”

Cummins said he worried a light sentence like this would set a bad precedent and potentially show others they could get away with crimes, too. He said the case reminded him of another story recently reported on, concerning a former Murray State student, Bethanie Bailey, who was charged with shoplifting over $13,000. He said that in both cases, the defendants got off easy.

Meagan Wieseman, a freshman pre-law major, also agreed that the sentence against Epperson was too lenient and argued his crime could be seen as attempted murder. Weiseman said, however, that she wasn’t surprised by the light sentence given to Epperson, given the court’s known racial and gender bias.

“I feel like if he wasn’t a white man, he’d be deemed more of a danger to society,” Weiseman said. 

Wieseman said it was frustrating to see Epperson get off lightly for such a crime. She also disagreed with the court’s decision to drop the remaining charges, saying Epperson could still pose a danger to society.

Wen Poor, a junior earth and environmental sciences major, also said the court’s decision reflects a bias regarding crimes targeted towards women. She said the outcome doesn’t really surprise her, as she had little trust in our court systems to begin with. Still, she said this case was concerning as a woman on a college campus.

“As someone who is AFAB (assigned female at birth), it’s concerning because I feel like (the) safety of people in women’s bodies is not taken seriously in our country, and tends to be kind of swept under the rug, especially on college campuses,” Poor said.

With Epperson’s case dismissed without prejudice, it is possible for the charges against him to be reopened at a later date. For now, no updates on that front have been given.