The father of an Alaska woman killed in a 2019 murder-for-hire scheme died during a weekend memorial motorcycle ride commemorating the fifth anniversary of her death.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The father of an Alaska woman killed in a murder-for-hire scheme in 2019 died during a weekend memorial motorcycle ride commemorating the fifth anniversary of her death.
Timothy Hoffman, 58, lost control of his motorcycle Sunday in an area west of Wasilla and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to Alaska State Police. His wife, Barbara “Jeanie” Hoffman, was riding on the back of the motorcycle and was seriously injured, Tanya Chaison, engaged to Timothy Hoffman’s brother, told the Anchorage Daily News.
The Hoffmans’ daughter, Cynthia Hoffman, 19, was killed in a bizarre murder-for-hire plot involving Denali Brehmer, a woman Hoffman considered his best friend. Prosecutors alleged that Brehmer, then 18, began an online relationship with an Indiana man she believed to be a Kansas millionaire, Darin Schilmiller. Authorities said Schilmiller promised to pay Brehmer $9 million to kill someone and to send him photos and videos. Brehmer allegedly recruited four friends to kill Hoffman.
Court documents say the group took Hoffman to Thunderbird Falls, a popular trail area north of Anchorage, and followed an off-trail path to the Eklutna River. Hoffman was tied up with duct tape, shot and thrown into the river. Brehmer then texted Hoffman’s family to say the group had dropped her off at an Anchorage park, officials said.
After Brehmer’s arrest and realizing she had been deceived by Schilmiller, she told authorities she had been solicited by him. She was sentenced earlier this year to 99 years in prison. Schilmiller of New Salisbury, Indiana, was also sentenced to 99 years in prison for his role in Hoffman’s death. Schilmiller admitted to federal agents and Indiana State Police that he chose Hoffman as a victim and asked Brehmer to kill her, according to court documents. The sentencing of two other people linked to this case is scheduled for the end of this year.
Timothy Hoffman’s children, including Cynthia, had developmental disabilities, and he had described measures he took to ensure their safety, including driving them to and from school and hourly phone calls.
He was present during court hearings in the case, often wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket and carrying his small support dog, Diego. He spoke in recent hearings about the pain and devastation that Cynthia’s murder had caused his family.
Jeanie Hoffman had begun to move on after her daughter’s death, which was one of the reasons she joined Timothy on a motorcycle Sunday, said her brother, Robert Hoffman. She had previously followed the memorial rides from another vehicle, he said.
Patrick McKay, who was a lead prosecutor in some of the criminal cases related to Cynthia Hoffman’s murder, called Timothy Hoffman a “zealous defender” of his daughter and said her sudden death was “almost too unbelievable to be true “.
“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. he declared.