West
Father of Alaska woman killed in murder-for-hire plot dies in memorial motorcycle ride
The father of an Alaska woman killed in a 2019 murder-for-hire-plot died over the weekend during a memorial motorcycle ride commemorating the fifth anniversary of her death.
The Anchorage Daily News reported that Timothy Hoffman, 58, lost control of his motorcycle on Sunday near Wasilla and was later pronounced dead, according to Alaska State Troopers. His wife, Barbara “Jeanie” Hoffman, was riding on the back of the motorcycle and seriously injured, Tanya Chaison, who is engaged to Timothy Hoffman’s brother, the newspaper said.
Cynthia Hoffman, the couple’s 19-year-old daughter, was killed in a catfish scheme involving Denali Brehmer, a woman Hoffman considered to be her best friend. Brehmer began an online relationship with an Indiana man, Darin Schilmiller, who claimed to be a millionaire from Kansas, when he promised to pay her $9 million to kill someone and send him photos and videos of it, prosecutors said.
ALASKAN TEENS CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER PHONY MULTI-MILLIONAIRE OFFERS $9M FOR PROOF OF SLAYING
Timothy Hoffman places a photo of his daughter, Cynthia Hoffman, at his side in court Jan. 9, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska, during the sentencing Darin Schilmiller, who pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of Cynthia. Timothy Hoffman died, Sunday, June 2, during a weekend memorial motorcycle ride commemorating the fifth anniversary of Cynthia’s death. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Hoffman’s body was found on the Eklutna River in Chugiak on June 2, 2019. She was shot and killed and later found bound with duct tape. Brehmer sent photos and video footage of the killing to Schilmiller, authorities said.
She allegedly recruited four friends, including Kayden McIntosh, Caleb Leyland and two juveniles, to help her carry out the killing. They lured Hoffman into thinking she was meeting up for a hiking trip at Thunderbird Falls trail when she was killed.
Brehmer was sentenced earlier this year to 99 years in prison. Schilmiller of New Salisbury, Indiana, also received a 99-year sentence for his role in Hoffman’s death. Schilmiller admitted to federal agents and the Indiana State Police that he chose Hoffman as the victim and told Brehmer to kill her, court documents said. Sentencing for two others in connection with the case is set for later this year.
911 CALL REVEALS SHOCKING SUBURBAN HOME INVASION WITH ARMED BANDITS TYING UP FAMILY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
Cynthia Hoffman, 19, was killed in 2019 as part of a “catfish” murder-for-hire plot where an Indiana man dangled fake millions for a video of someone’s murder. Alaskan teens took the bait. (Family Handout)
During court hearings, Timothy Hoffman often wore a black leather motorcycle jacket and carried his small support dog, Diego.
Patrick McKay, who was a lead prosecutor on some of the criminal cases related to Cynthia Hoffman’s killing, called Timothy Hoffman a “zealous advocate” for his daughter and said his sudden death was “almost too unbelievable to be true.”
Denali Brehmer, 18, left, Kayden McIntosh, 16, Caleb Leyland, 19, and two other unnamed juveniles were arraigned in an Alaskan courtroom for the June 2, 2019, slaying of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
“I hope his family and friends take comfort in remembering that Tim died doing something he loved, with people he loved, in memory of someone he loved,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Recent reporting on Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s 420 days of out-of-state travel raises serious and reasonable questions about the level of transparency his office has provided.
As a lifelong Democrat who believes in good government and accountability, I’m troubled by the lack of information on the purposes of these trips all over the world. Many on the right are making this a political talking point, but my concern as an average Nevada voter is simpler — we should expect transparency from our elected officials, regardless of party affiliation.
Public service is a public trust. When officials spend significant time away from the state they were elected to serve, taxpayers have every right to understand why. What was the purpose of these trips? What concrete benefits did they bring back to Nevada? How did travel to places such as Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii or Ghana advance our state’s interests?
I’m not suggesting that all travel is inappropriate. Our attorney general may well have legitimate reasons to represent Nevada at conferences, build important partnerships or address legal matters that benefit our state. But 420 days is substantial, and the lack of detailed explanations makes it impossible for voters such as me to assess whether this travel served Nevada well.
This is where transparency matters most. A comprehensive accounting of these trips, their purposes, outcomes and benefits to Nevada, would address these concerns and effectively. If Mr. Ford’s travel delivered real value to our state, he should be proud to share those accomplishments. If some trips were less essential, acknowledging that would also demonstrate the kind of honest leadership we need.
Democrats have long championed government transparency. We’ve criticized Republicans when they’ve fallen short of this standard. We cannot apply different rules to our party. Good government principles don’t have a political affiliation.
The solution here is straightforward: Mr. Ford should provide the public with detailed explanations of this travel. Until that happens, this issue will continue to damage public trust and distract from the important work our attorney general should be doing for Nevada families.
We can and should do better.
Susan Brager is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents. She previously served on the Clark County School Board.
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