An Alaska woman admitted to killing her best friend for $9 million after being catfished.
On Wednesday, 22-year-old Denali Brehmer pleaded guilty to murdering her best friend, 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman, in 2019.
According to the Alaska Public Media, Brehmer was catfished by a man named Darin Schilmiller. At the time, Schilmiller was a 21-year-old pretending to be millionaire named “Tyler.”
Schilmiller posted online that he was offering $9 million for the “rape and murder of someone in Alaska.” He convinced Brehmer and two other teens to carry out the crime and then send him pictures as proof.
On June 2nd, Brehmer and the two teens lured Hoffman to take a hike with them at Thunderbird Falls in Chugiak. The teens then tied Hoffman up and duct taped her mouth, feet, and hands. Shortly after, the teens shot Hoffman in the back of her head with a 9mm handgun.
Brehmer and her accomplices also sent Schilmiller video and photo footage “at his directive throughout the duration of the event” via Snapchat.
After that, the three teenagers pushed Hoffman’s body into Eklutna River. To make matters worse, the teens also attempted to burn Hoffman’s body before sending her parents a text that she had been dropped off somewhere else.
Nevertheless, Brehmer’s sentencing is scheduled for August 22nd. If she’s convicted, the 22-year-old could face anywhere from 30-99 years behind bars.
