An Alaskan woman was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder of her best friend, a crime she admitted to committing after being manipulated by a man who offered $9 million for the act.
According to the Alaska Department of Law, Denali Brehmer, currently 24, admitted to murdering 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman in 2023.
In June 2019, Hoffman disappeared on a hike in Chugiak, Alaska, with Brehmer and another friend. Two days later, her body was found near the Eklutna River, duct-taped with a gunshot wound to the back of her head.
According to court documents, Hoffman was enticed by an online relationship with a man she believed to be named “Tyler,” who, claiming to be a Kansas millionaire, offered her $9 million to commit murder and furnish evidence.
Authorities allege that Brehmer and her accomplice, Kayden McIntosh, aged 18 and 16 at the time, drove Hoffman to Thunderbird Falls, where McIntosh purportedly shot Hoffman after the duo bound her with duct tape and took photos of her.
Prosecutors argue that, despite not firing the fatal shot, Brehmer is responsible for Hoffman’s murder.
“She may not have pulled the trigger, but this never would have happened if it weren’t for Denali Brehmer,” said prosecutor Patrick McKay.
Two other teens were prosecuted in juvenile court for their alleged involvement in the case.
Darin Schilmiller from Indiana was sentenced to 99 years in prison for soliciting murder after authorities revealed his role in catfishing the teen and soliciting child pornography from Brehmer, reported the Department of Law.
According to a press release, Brehmer’s 99-year sentence came after a judge called her conduct “cold, calculated, and carried out to a T.”
Timothy Hoffman, Cynthia’s father, revealed that his daughter, who had developmental disabilities, considered Brehmer her best friend.
In court in 2019, Timothy said, “My daughter just wanted friends, and now I have to bury her.”
