A romance novelist who made news in 2018 for registering a trademark for the word cocky has gone missing, days after her arrest on charges of leading police officers on a long chase, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports.
Faleena Hopkins has been missing for almost two weeks. The author was arrested on Jan. 27 after allegedly fleeing National Park Service officers, who pursued her for 24 miles at high speeds through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
She was released from jail on Jan. 30, and her friends and family say they have not seen her since then. She was scheduled to appear in court to be arraigned on charges of fleeing the police, speeding, and stopping or parking on a roadway.
Hopkins made headlines more than four years ago after she obtained a trademark for the word cocky for her self-published romance novels, which include titles such as Cocky Cop, Cocky Biker, and Cocky Cowboy.
Hopkins demanded that authors T.L. Smith and Melissa Jane change the title of their book Cocky Fiancé and later moved against other authors who had the word cocky in the titles of their novels. She also sued to prevent books that used the word from being published.
She later dropped the suit and surrendered the trademark.
The missing persons webpage for the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation has an entry for Hopkins. “Anyone with information or contact with Faleena is requested to contact the Jackson Police Department at (307) 733-1430 or the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at (307) 777-7181,” it says.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
