A 99-year prison term was handed down to an Alaskan woman who confessed to killing her "best friend" after being "catfished" by a person claiming to pay $9 million for pictures of the crime.
Denali Brehmer, who is currently 23 years old, admitted that she killed Cynthia Hoffman, 19, on June 2, 2019, when she entered a guilty plea in February 2023 for first-degree murder.
Online Murder-for-Hire Scheme Exposed
Court documents reveal the disturbing details of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated through an online relationship. Denali Brehmer, now 23, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February 2023, receiving a 99-year sentence for her role in the grisly crime.
Simply 18 years old, she set up an online relationship with Darin Schilmiller, then 21, who presented himself as a wealthy individual living in Indiana. According to court records, Schilmiller allegedly made a promise to Brehmer involving a significant sum of money in exchange for her involvement in a disturbing act, as well as providing him with visual evidence.
Schilmiller, now 25, didn't specify the target for the murder, leaving authorities bewildered. Brehmer, eager for the promised payout, enlisted four friends to assist her in the sinister plan. Photos and video footage of the murder were sent to Schilmiller, sealing their involvement in the heinous act.
The victim, Cynthia Hoffman, 19, fell prey to the malevolent scheme orchestrated by Brehmer. Kayden McIntosh, then 16, allegedly lured Hoffman on a hike, during which she was shot in the back of the head. Hoffman's lifeless body was callously disposed of in a river, discovered a day after she was reported missing.
Brehmer faced a litany of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder, tampering with evidence, and murder in the second degree. Her guilty plea led to the dismissal of some charges, but the court handed down the maximum sentence allowed, according to WSB-TV.
Schilmiller Gets 99 Years for Hoffman Murder
The sentencing of Schilmiller, also to 99 years in prison, took place in January. Apart from his role in Hoffman's murder, Schilmiller solicited child pornography from Brehmer, leading to additional charges from the US Justice Department.
Caleb Leyland, 19 at the time of the murder, awaits sentencing in June for his involvement. Two minors implicated in the crime faced prosecution in juvenile court, with sealed trial outcomes.
During the sentencing, Anchorage assistant district attorney Patrick McKay asserted, "She may not have pulled the trigger, but this never would have happened if it weren't for Denali Brehmer." He emphasized Brehmer's pivotal role in the premeditated murder-for-hire and hoped her sentence would serve as a deterrent.
The defense claimed a sentence of 80 years, with 20 years suspended, including the absence of the death penalty in Alaska. However, the court decided to impose the most severe punishment, pointing out the seriousness of the offense and Brehmer's apparent absence of regret.
While the accomplices' judicial actions are still ongoing, the alarming revelation of this murder-for-hire scheme exposes the dangers of online relationships and the terrible occurrences that happened in Cynthia Hoffman's life, WTHR reported
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