An Anchorage grand jury indicted 21-year-old Darin Schilmiller of Indiana, 18-year-old Denali Brehmer, 16-year-old Kayden McIntosh, 19-year-old Caleb Leyland, and two minors, all of Anchorage, for Murder in the First Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, and two counts of Murder in the Second Degree in the execution killing of Cynthia Hoffman.
Hoffman was shot in the back of the head on June 2 at Thunderbird Falls in Chugiak. Brehmer and McIntosh drove the developmentally disabled teen to Thunderbird Falls where McIntosh allegedly shot her and dumped her body in the Eklutna River.
Schilmiller and Brehmer were indicted on a count of Solicitation to Commit Murder in the First Degree. Brehmer was indicted on a count of Tampering with Physical Evidence and McIntosh was indicted on four counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence.
The bail memorandum alleges the murder occurred after Schilmiller offered to pay Brehmer $9 million or more to murder Hoffman, and to send him videos and/or photographs of the murder.
Brehmer is accused of recruiting the others to assist in the planning and/or execution of the murder. In exchange, all of them would receive a significant sum of money for their part in carrying out the plan.
If convicted at trial, the defendants face up to 99 years in prison for each of the murder charges, the conspiracy to commit murder charge, and the solicitation to commit murder charge. In addition, Brehmer and McIntosh face up to five years imprisonment for each of the tampering with physical evidence charges.
Schilmiller, of New Salisbury, Indiana, is currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation but the State of Alaska has issued a warrant for his arrest and he will be extradited to Alaska to face the charges.
Brehmer, McIntosh, and Leyland are in the custody of the Department of Corrections and will be arraigned Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at 1:45 p.m. in superior court.
The two minors are in custody at McLaughlin Youth Center, with no information released.
[Read: Who is Darin Schilmiller and why is he part of this murder investigation?]
