Alaska Woman Murders Best Friend for $9M Promised Through Catfishing Scheme

An Alaska woman pleaded guilty on February 15 to the murder of her "best friend" after falling for a catfishing scheme in which a total stranger offered $9 million in exchange for images and video of the heinous act, the NY Post reports.

Denali Brehmer, 22, pled guilty to first-degree murder in the 2019 death of Cynthia Hoffman, 19, said the Alaska Department of Justice.

The Alaska woman was only 18 when she and two other teens were "catfished" by a man online who said he was a millionaire and persuaded them to sexually abuse and kill Hoffman sexually.

Darin Schilmiller, then 21 years old, allegedly pretended to be a guy named "Tyler," a wealthy businessman online, and targeted teenagers, according to court filings.

Schilmiller ordered the teenagers to bring him evidence of the "rape and murder of someone in Alaska," including images and videos, for $9 million.

Alaska Woman Recruited Four More Friends to Commit the Murder

Four more people have been implicated in the murder of Hoffman, including Brehmer's companions Kayden McIntosh and Caleb Leyland, and two minors.

The victim was tricked into meeting the four suspects for a hike on the Thunderbird Falls route when she was instead wrapped with duct tape, shot, and thrown in a river.

Brehmer gave Schilmiller images and videos of the murder scene she had filmed.

Alaska's Department of Law says Brehmer's sentence will begin on August 22 and go on for three days.

She could serve anywhere between 30 and 99 years in prison, Fox noted.

Similarly, McIntosh and Leyland have been indicted and have entered not-guilty pleas in anticipation of trial.

According to Alaska Public Radio, Schilmiller was extradited to Alaska, where he is currently held in police custody on murder allegations.

Hoffman had a cognitive disability and thought the Alaska woman who killed her was her best friend. She was restrained and was in the back of the head.

Hoffman's murder took place on June 2, 2019. She was "dumped in the Eklutna River, about 27 miles northeast of Anchorage," as stated in the court filings.

After the murder, the group threw away some of Hoffman's things and sent a message to her family saying they had left her at a park, per the Daily Star.

No evidence of a sexual attack against Hoffman was found, according to the police. Her body was discovered close to Thunderbird Falls in Chugiak, Alaska, two days later.

What Is Catfishing Scheme?

Catfishing scheme is creating a fake online persona to pursue an intimate relationship with another person, said The Blaze. That frequently happens in online dating, social media, and other forms of electronic communication.

An article by ConnectSafely examines the risks of this method and explains them.

If the online interaction progresses into the real world, the victim may be the target of an assault or a financial scam, said ConnectSafely.

Moreover, the Silicon Valley organization advises people to be wary of anyone who appears "too good to be true" in an online profile picture, who seeks money or sexually explicit images, or who declines to meet in person or even via video chats.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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