Midwest
Teen killed in 'catfish' murder-for-hire plot planned by 'worst offender' seeking videos of death, child porn
WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
The mastermind of a vicious “catfish” murder-for-hire scheme that baited teens into “assassinating” a “vulnerable” 19-year-old woman cried in court when the judge sentenced him to 99 years in prison.
Darin Schilmiller faced five to 99 years in prison, but his waterworks didn’t faze Alaska Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson, who opted for the harshest punishment because he’s “a worst offender.”
“You plotted with other co-defendants to kill somebody you never met, for no reason other than the sheer thrill of controlling others and seeing it be done,” Peterson told Schilmiller during last week’s sentencing for Cynthia “CeeCee” Hoffman’s murder.
“One down,” Hoffman’s dad, Timothy Hoffman, said after the sentencing, according to “Inside Edition.”
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Cynthia Hoffman, 19, was killed in 2019 as part of a “catfish” murder-for-hire plot in which an Indiana man dangled fake millions for a video of someone’s murder. Alaskan teens took the bait. (Family handout)
Schilmiller was a 19-year-old Indiana resident in 2019 when he concocted his twisted plot to get videos of child pornography and a “real-life” murder, according to court filings.
He posed as a 20-year-old, handsome Kansas man named “Tyler,” used a bogus picture online and offered to pay millions of dollars to whoever sent him these videos, court documents say.
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Police said a group of Alaska teens took the bait and pretended to befriend Hoffman, who was described as vulnerable and developmentally disabled, and took her on a nature hike in rural Anchorage, Alaska, “Inside Edition” reported.
That’s where they bound her arms and legs with duct tape, shot her in the back of the head and pushed her body in a creek, according to court documents.
Then they burned all her belongings, including her clothes and ID.
Darin Schilmiller, now 25 (far left in yellow), was sentenced to 99 years in prison. (Patty Sullivan/Alaska Department of Law)
Hoffman’s father remembered how happy his daughter was the day the murderous group’s ringleader, Denali Brehmer, pretended to be her best friend.
“She came home and bragged, ‘Dad, I finally have a friend,” he testified through tears.
Brehmer, now 23, pleaded guilty last February to first-degree murder and admitted to coordinating “CeeCee’s” death, according to court filings.
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Brehmer and Hoffman went into the wooded area in rural Anchorage with Caleb Leyland, now 24, and Kayden McIntosh, now 20, who were all charged in Hoffman’s murder.
Leyland pleaded guilty in November to second-degree murder, and McIntosh, who allegedly pulled the trigger, pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Brehmer’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 12, and Leyland’s sentencing is scheduled for June 10. McIntosh’s trial date hasn’t been set yet.
Denali Brehmer, 18, Kayden McIntosh, 16, Caleb Leyland, 19, and two other unnamed juveniles were arraigned in the June 2, 2019, slaying of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Anchorage police Detective Leonard Torres testified that Brehmer was the “main perpetrator” during his testimony, according to “Inside Edition.”
She was “the one that was able to come up with the plan and manipulate everybody else into following it,” he said.
The disturbing plot that started it all
Before any of the Alaskan teens entered the picture, there was Schilmiller and his sickening plot “for thrills” and an urge to satisfy a sexual fetish, federal court documents say.
He offered Brehmer make-believe millions of dollars that he claimed he won in the lottery to film sexual assaults of girls – one who was 8 or 9 years old at the time, and the other victim was 15.
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Schilmiller gave specific instructions to Brehmer on what he wanted and how to pose the victims in text exchanges, which were detailed in the court documents (but not included in this report due to the graphic nature).
The child pornography aspect of the case was handled by the FBI and federal prosecutors, in conjunction with Anchorage police, because the crime crossed over several state lines.
During the investigation into Hoffman’s murder, investigators uncovered texts as well as the pictures and videos of the underage victims in June 2019.
That quickly led to Schilmiller’s and Brehmer’s arrests, which were announced by the FBI’s Anchorage 0ffice on June 19, 2019.
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Emotions boiled over inside an Ohio courtroom Tuesday, after a judge sentenced a Cincinnati man in the shooting death of a teenager, setting off a shouting match that escalated into a courthouse brawl.
The chaos unfolded after the families of Latrelle Rogers, 20, and his victim, Edwin “Myzell” Arrington, 17, got into a verbal argument following Rogers’ sentencing.
Rogers was ordered to serve 12 to 17½ years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Arrington’s death, FOX 19 reported.
After Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Winkler read out the sentencing, one of Rogers’ family members could be heard on video shouting, “Love you.”
Violence broke out in the courtroom after Latrelle Rogers’ sentencing. (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)
Arrington‘s family responded with, “F— you,” leading to a fight that traveled through the courthouse and outside, according to the outlet.
“The disturbance was so loud it disturbed proceedings in my courtroom,” Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher McDowell told FOX 19. “I saw multiple people being arrested and not complying with deputies’ orders.”
McDowell told the outlet he was forced to cancel the rest of the morning’s hearings, as the courthouse was temporarily closed.
Latrelle Rogers lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)
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Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed multiple people were cited, but it is unclear if there were any arrests, according to FOX 19.
The shooting happened early Jan. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati’s University Heights neighborhood.
It is unclear what led to the fatal Ohio shooting. (Stephen M. Katz/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Officers found Arrington dead from multiple gunshot wounds and arrested Rogers more than four months later on May 22, according to the outlet.
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Before Rogers’ plea deal, he was indicted on two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault.
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Treatment will delay the Royal Oak-born actor’s plans to tour his new film ‘Ernie & Emma’ this summer.
Royal Oak-born movie star and cult hero Bruce Campbell announced on social media on Monday that he has been diagnosed cancer — a type that is “treatable” but not “curable,” he said.
“I apologize if that’s a shock — it was to me too,” the “Evil Dead” star, 67, wrote in a message posted to Instagram.
He went on to say “I’m not gonna go into any more detail,” and he didn’t. He said the public announcement had to do with scaling back appearances on his schedule, including tour dates behind his latest film, “Ernie & Emma.”
Campbell planned to show the movie June 5 at the Redford Theatre; as of Monday night, that date is still on the Redford schedule, but Campbell wrote in his note he plans to get “as well as I possibly can over the summer so that I can tour with my new movie ‘Ernie & Emma’ this fall.”
The movie is written, directed by and stars Campbell as a man who goes on a journey following the death of his wife. Campbell produced the movie alongside his wife, Ida Gearon, and filmed it in Oregon, where he now lives.
Campbell told The News in January he dedicated “Ernie & Emma” to his childhood moviemaking pals, including Scott Spiegel, who died of a heart attack in September 2025.
“It’s a callback to the carefree days of Super 8, where we could do whatever the f–k we wanted to do,” Campbell said of “Ernie & Emma.” “So I thought, ‘All the boys are responsible for this,’ so they’re all in there.”
Campbell got his start making movies around Metro Detroit with his childhood pal, Sam Raimi. Campbell starred in Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy and has since appeared in most of Raimi’s films; Campbell makes a brief appearance in a photograph in the background of an early scene in Raimi’s latest, “Send Help.”
He’s also an author; Campbell’s autobiography “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” was published in 2001.
In his post on social media, Campbell thanked fans and said he was not out to elicit sympathy.
“Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-bitch and I have great support, so I expect to be around for a while,” he wrote.
agraham@detroitnews.com
For Pi Day, grocery shoppers get quizzed on what pi means
From the video archive, Columnist Jim Stingl quizzes Whole Foods Market customers on the mathematical pi. Video originally published March 14, 2010.
For math enthusiasts and foodies, Pi Day on March 14 is upon us once again.
We all know what pie is, but what the heck is pi? Pi ― 3.14 ― is the ratio of the circumference of a circle (the distance around the outside of it) to the diameter of that circle (the distance edge-to-edge). As we may have learned in math class, no matter the size of the circle, pi is always 3.14.
Hence on March 14, many bakeries and eateries in and around Milwaukee are offering pie sales and diverse pie selections. A selection of them are listed below.
Note that pie availability is typically while supplies last and preordering or calling beforehand is recommended. If there is a bakery or restaurant that is recognizing Pi Day and is not included in this list, let us know so we can add it.
Gather Bakehouse in Bay View
At Gather Bakehouse, the bakery will have mini 3-inch pies as well as 9-inch pies. Flavors include Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, French silk, honey custard and key lime. There will also be preorder options.
Location: 1100 E. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee
Hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It’s closed on Monday.
For more information: Visit gatherbakehouse.com
National Bakery & Deli in Brookfield, Greendale and Milwaukee
National Bakery & Deli will have multiple pies available for National Pi Day: banana cream, cherry, apple, chocolate cream, Dutch apple and strawberry cream.
Location: 13820 W. Greenfield Ave., Brookfield; 5637 Broad St., Greendale; and 3200 S. 16th St., Milwaukee.
Hours for all locations: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information or to order online: Visit nationalbakery.com
Kelly’s Pot Pies & More in Greenfield and East Troy
Kelly’s Pot Pies & More will have $3.14 off any large Reuben pot pie or shepherd’s pie beginning Pi Day and running through St. Patrick’s Day. These specials will be at both the East Troy and Greenfield stores.
Kelly’s Pot Pies & More also has other pot pies, including beef, turkey, veggie, taco and pizza. They also offer quiche, cheesecake, lemon torte and key lime pie.
To help guarantee a pie, order online two hours or more in advance.
Locations: 3785 S. 108th St. in Greenfield; and 3268 Main St. in East Troy
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
To order online or for more information: Visit kellyspotpies.com.
Mr. Dye’s Pies at 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee
At Mr. Dye’s Pies at 3rd Street Market Hall, there are a plethora of pies sold by the slice or as a whole pie including peanut butter, sweet potato, pecan, key lime and blueberry.Location: 5504 W. State St. (First Floor, South Hall located in the row of stalls to the right of Dairyland)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday
For more information: Visit 3rdstmarkethall.com/locations/all-vendors/mrdyespies
The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago
The Elegant Farmer will participate on National Pi Day from March 9 to 15 and will offer $3.14 off 5-inch apple pies baked in a paper bag (original price is $9.99). The pies baked in a bag feature a flaky crust with a sugar cookie-like top.
Location: 1545 Main St. (at Highways ES & J) in Mukwonago
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
For more information or to order: Order online at elegantfarmer.com or call 262-363-6770
Periwinkle’s Bakery in Waukesha
Periwinkle’s Bakery on Broadway in Waukesha will have its full pie menu for special order on March 14 and a variety of 9-inch-deep dish pies for sale that same day at its retail location at neighboring Rochester Deli. These include French Silk, caramel apple, Key West lime, wild blueberry and peanut butter French silk.
Online orders need to be placed the week prior.
Location: 143 W. Broadway, Waukesha (Bakery for purchase inside of Rochester Deli)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday
For more information: Visit periwinklesbakery.com
All in Favor, Say Pie in Waukesha
At All in Favor, Say Pie, you can order your pie online to pick up in Waukesha. Flavors include Door County cherry pie, apple blueberry, Dutch apple pie, cranberry apple, mixed berry and blueberry. Pies should be ordered two to five days in advance.
For more information and to order: Visit https://sites.google.com/view/allinfavorsaypie/home
Aggie’s Bakery and Cake Shop in West Allis
Aggie’s Bakery and Cake Shop will sell pies including cherry, apple, caramel apple, blueberry, peach and banana cream pie on National Pi Day.
Location: 7328 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday
For more information: Call 414-482-1288 or visit aggiesbakery.com
The Bake Sale in West Allis
The Bake Sale in West Allis has pie options that customers can order online days in advance which include key lime, French silk, apple, caramel apple, strawberry rhubarb, pecan, whiskey chocolate pecan and fruity pebble. Pies are available on National Pi Day while supplies last. Select pies are available in the store.
Location: 6923 W. Becher St., West Allis
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday
For more information or to order: 414-543-4230 or bakesalewestallis.com
Bishop’s Sweets in West Allis
For National Pi Day, Bishop’s Sweets will have whole pies and slices available while supplies last. If you want a specialty pie or to ensure there is one ready, order the pie 72 hours before March 14.
The featured pie flavors include apple, cherry, banana cream, coconut cream and Bishop’s Sweets requested favorite, French silk pie. The bakery will also be introducing additional pies for people to try, including chess, buttermilk and Mississippi mud pie.
Location: 8005 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis. Bishop’s Sweets also offers delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on National Pi Day, March 14, or until the pies are sold out. Otherwise, hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. (It is closed Monday through Thursday.)
For more information: Visit www.facebook.com/BishopsSweets or call 414-763-2436.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy
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