Alaska woman gets 99 years for arranging the murder of her best friend
An Alaska woman who arranged for her best friend to be killed in 2019 after a man she met online promised her $9 million to do so was sentenced Monday to 99 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson sentenced the woman, Denali Brehmer, 23, of Anchorage, who pleaded guilty last year to one count of first-degree murder in the death of Alaska's girlfriend, Cynthia Hoffman The Ministry of Justice reported this in a statement.
Evidence presented at the sentencing showed that Ms. Hoffman, 19, was fatally shot on a bank of the Eklutna River near Thunderbird Falls on June 2, 2019, and her body was later placed in the river, according to the Department of Law . Prosecutors later learned that Ms. Brehmer had been hired to kill Ms. Hoffman in exchange for millions of dollars.
During the hearing, Judge Peterson described Ms. Hoffman's murder as “tragic and senseless,” the Justice Department said.
Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Patrick McKay The court said this on Monday that Ms. Brehmer “was involved in one of the most serious crimes we have in Alaska.”
Ms. Brehmer had asked for an 80-year sentence, with 20 years suspended, and prosecutors had asked for a 99-year sentence, the Justice Department said.
According to court documents, Ms. Brehmer met a man online who convinced her his name was Tyler and that he was a millionaire from Kansas. According to the indictment, the man offered Ms. Brehmer at least $9 million to kill someone in Alaska and take photos and video of the killing.
But in reality, “Tyler” was Darin Schilmiller, 25, of New Salisbury, Indiana, and according to the indictment, he was not a millionaire. Mr. Schilmiller was “catfishing” Ms. Brehmer, the complaint said, referring to the act of deceiving someone online by creating a false identity.
Mrs. Brehmer agreed to commit murder for Mr. Schilmiller, and she enlisted four friends to carry out the killing. The indictment identified two of them as Caleb Leyland, 24, and Kayden McIntosh. Prosecutors said two minors who were not named in the indictment also were involved. According to the indictment, the group selected Ms. Hoffman as its target.
On June 2, 2019, Ms. Brehmer, Mr. McIntosh and Ms. Hoffman went to Thunderbird Falls for what was supposed to be a hike, the complaint said. Along the Eklutna River, Ms. Hoffman's hands and feet were bound with duct tape, and Mr. McIntosh shot her once in the back of the head before dumping her in the river, according to charging documents.
Mr. McIntosh later confessed to shooting Ms. Hoffman, prosecutors said.
Mr. McKay, the assistant district attorney, said Monday that Ms. Brehmer “conspired with countless other individuals in and outside Alaska, including youth, that changed everyone's lives forever.”
“She may not have pulled the trigger,” Mr. McKay said, “but this never would have happened if it wasn't for Denali Brehmer.”
Prosecutors said Mr. Schilmiller also asked Ms. Brehmer to try to obtain child pornography, leading to federal charges against her. She pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to produce child pornography, and sentencing in that case is scheduled for March 4, according to court records. A lawyer for Ms. Brehmer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
So was Mr. Schilmiller, who pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder was sentenced to 99 years in January was jailed for his role, according to the Justice Department. He also faces federal child pornography charges.
Mr. Leyland, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in November, will be sentenced on June 10, the Justice Department said.
According to the Ministry of Law, Mr McIntosh is awaiting trial for murder.
Lawyers for Mr. Schilmiller, Mr. Leyland and Mr. McIntosh did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.