The father of an Alaska woman killed in a murder-for-hire crime in 2019 died during a weekend memorial motorcycle trip marking the five-year anniversary of her death.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The father of an Alaska woman killed in a murder-for-hire plot in 2019 has died during a weekend motorcycle memorial tour marking 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 Troopers. His wife, Barbara “Jeannie” Hoffman, was riding on the back of the motorcycle and sustained serious injuries, Tanya Chaisson, who is engaged to Timothy Hoffman’s brother, told the Anchorage Daily News.
The Hoffmans’ 19-year-old daughter, Cynthia Hoffman, was killed in a bizarre murder-for-hire plot involving Denali Bremer, who Hoffman considered a close friend. Prosecutors allege that Bremer, who was 18 at the time, began dating Darin Schilmiller, an Indiana man she believed to be a millionaire from Kansas, online. Authorities say Schilmiller paid Bremer $9 million and promised to kill someone and send her photos and videos of the crime. Bremer allegedly hired four friends to kill Hoffman.
According to court documents, the group took Hoffman to Thunderbird Falls, a popular trail area north of Anchorage, then followed an off-trail path to the Eklutna River. Hoffman was bound with duct tape, shot and thrown into the river. Bremer then texted Hoffman’s family that the group had dropped her off at a park in Anchorage, authorities said.
After Bremer was arrested and she realized Schilmiller had tricked her, she told authorities he had lured her out. She was sentenced to 99 years in prison earlier this year. Schilmiller, of New Salisbury, Indiana, was also sentenced to 99 years in prison for his role in Hoffman’s death. According to court documents, Schilmiller admitted to federal agents and Indiana State Police that he selected Hoffman as the victim and instructed Bremer to kill her. Sentencing for two others connected to the case is scheduled for later this year.
Timothy Hoffman’s children, including Cynthia, have developmental disabilities, and he described the steps he took to keep them safe, including driving them to and from school and calling them every hour.
He has attended all court hearings in the case, often wearing a black leather biker jacket and accompanied by his small service dog, Diego. At a recent hearing, he spoke about the pain and devastation that Cynthia’s murder has caused to her family.
Jeannie Hoffman had been coming to terms with the death of her daughter, which was one of the reasons she rode with Timothy on Sunday, said her brother, Robert Hoffman, who had previously accompanied her on memorial rides from a different vehicle.
Patrick McKay, the lead prosecutor in several criminal cases related to Cynthia Hoffman’s murder, called Timothy Hoffman a “fierce advocate” for his daughter and said her sudden death was “too hard to believe.”
“I hope that Tim’s family and friends will find comfort in the knowledge that he passed away in memory of his loved one, doing something he loved, with the people he loved,” he said.
