Rachel Hoffman 23 Years Old, MSG [REMAINS DISCOVERED] Out of Tallahassee, FL

[wheezer]

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m196/wheezer5695/bilde-3.jpg



Investigators are looking for a 23-year-old missing woman in rural Jefferson County.

They've gathered off a dirt road in hopes of finding Rachel Hoffman, who went missing Wednesday while assisting Tallahassee police officers with an operation.

"We're hoping for the best," said Jefferson County Sheriff David Hobbs, who was on his way to the scene this morning.
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Two men were arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with the kidnapping and armed robbery of a Tallahassee woman who went missing after assisting in a police operation.

Andrea J. Green, 25, and Deneilo Bradshaw were arrested at 5 p.m. by Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents in Orlando, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.

There is no word on 23-year-old Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, who was last seen about 7 p.m. Wednesday near Forestmeadows Park in northeast Tallahassee. She is 5-foot-7, weighs 135 pounds and was last seen wearing a green V-neck shirt, black skirt with multiple colors on the bottom and black flip flops.

"The department continues the investigation in an attempt to determine the exact circumstances of her disappearance," TPD released in a statement.

Police have been using helicopters and other resources to search for her, said Officer David McCranie, TPD spokesman. That search has extended to Taylor County. Agencies assisting in the manhunt include: the Leon County Sheriff's Office, Perry Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Taylor County Sheriff's Office.

"We want her found safe and sound as much as her family does," McCranie said. "We are working all night long. We have officers rotating shifts, commanders rotating shifts and we have thrown a great deal of resources into locating the suspects and Ms. Hoffman."

Authorities found Hoffman's 2005 silver Volvo sedan about midday Thursday at United Welding Services, 606 Industrial Park Drive, in Perry. No one was inside the car.

Police set up a field post at the Meadows Soccer Complex at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park as part of its search for the missing woman. The complex is next door to Forestmeadows on North Meridian Road. About a dozen police vehicles patrolled the area in hopes of finding Hoffman or her car.

Local residents who work or exercise at the Forestmeadows Park & Athletic Center were shocked Wednesday morning to hear about the missing woman.

Linda Talbot, who works at the front desk at the center said the news made her nervous.

"I was in shock because I see this as a safe place where people play tennis, and children play here," Talbot said.

Talbot said she was considering working the night shift — the athletic facility stays open until 10 p.m. on weekdays — but now she's changed her mind.

"You never know what could happen in any place," she said.

But Tallahassee police said park-goers shouldn't be nervous because it was an "isolated incident."

"There's no reason for the public to be concerned for their general safety in terms of being in public places or parks," McCranie said.

Paul Beckham, who goes to the center almost every day to practice his tennis for the "Golden Boys" senior league, said nothing like this happens in this area.

"Well, I sure hope they come up with something," Beckham said. "People don't go missing often here."

Hoffman graduated from Florida State University last August with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Her hometown is Clearwater, according to her Facebook Web page. She lives on the east side of Tallahassee.

Shaina Hale, a friend of Hoffman's, said Hoffman is planning to attend culinary school in Arizona in the fall.

"Rachel is one of the sweetest girls ever," she said.

Hoffman and the men arrested in Orlando all have criminal records. Hoffman was arrested in February 2007 and entered drug court for possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and resisting arrest without violence, according to court records. Bradshaw was arrested in April and May 2007 for possession of marijuana.

Green, of Perry, spent nearly nine months in prison from 2004 to 2005 for selling marijuana and aggravated assault in Taylor County, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS01/805090343/1010

[packy]

Hope they find her soon.

[Faith]

http://cmsimg.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CD&Date=20080509&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=805090343&Ref=AR&Profile=1010&MaxW=318&Border=0
Andrea J. Green, left, and Deneilo R. Bradshaw were arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with the kidnapping and armed robbery of a Tallahassee woman who went missing after assisting in a police operation. (Special to the Democrat)

[Faith]

morning update

Two men were arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with the kidnapping and armed robbery of a Tallahassee woman who went missing after assisting in a police operation.

Andrea J. Green, 25, and Deneilo Bradshaw were arrested at 5 p.m. by Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents in Orlando, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.

There is no word on 23-year-old Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, who was last seen about 7 p.m. Wednesday near Forestmeadows Park in northeast Tallahassee. She is 5-foot-7, weighs 135 pounds and was last seen wearing a green V-neck shirt, black skirt with multiple colors on the bottom and black flip flops.

"The department continues the investigation in an attempt to determine the exact circumstances of her disappearance," TPD released in a statement.

Police have been using helicopters and other resources to search for her, said Officer David McCranie, TPD spokesman. That search has extended to Taylor County. Agencies assisting in the manhunt include: the Leon County Sheriff's Office, Perry Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Taylor County Sheriff's Office.

"We want her found safe and sound as much as her family does," McCranie said. "We are working all night long. We have officers rotating shifts, commanders rotating shifts and we have thrown a great deal of resources into locating the suspects and Ms. Hoffman."

Authorities found Hoffman's 2005 silver Volvo sedan about midday Thursday at United Welding Services, 606 Industrial Park Drive, in Perry. No one was inside the car.

Police set up a field post at the Meadows Soccer Complex at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park as part of its search for the missing woman. The complex is next door to Forestmeadows on North Meridian Road. About a dozen police vehicles patrolled the area in hopes of finding Hoffman or her car.

Local residents who work or exercise at the Forestmeadows Park & Athletic Center were shocked Wednesday morning to hear about the missing woman.

Linda Talbot, who works at the front desk at the center said the news made her nervous.

"I was in shock because I see this as a safe place where people play tennis, and children play here," Talbot said.

Talbot said she was considering working the night shift — the athletic facility stays open until 10 p.m. on weekdays — but now she's changed her mind.

"You never know what could happen in any place," she said.

But Tallahassee police said park-goers shouldn't be nervous because it was an "isolated incident."

"There's no reason for the public to be concerned for their general safety in terms of being in public places or parks," McCranie said.

Paul Beckham, who goes to the center almost every day to practice his tennis for the "Golden Boys" senior league, said nothing like this happens in this area.

"Well, I sure hope they come up with something," Beckham said. "People don't go missing often here."

Hoffman graduated from Florida State University last August with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Her hometown is Clearwater, according to her Facebook Web page. She lives on the east side of Tallahassee.

Shaina Hale, a friend of Hoffman's, said Hoffman is planning to attend culinary school in Arizona in the fall.

"Rachel is one of the sweetest girls ever," she said.

Hoffman and the men arrested in Orlando all have criminal records. Hoffman was arrested in February 2007 and entered drug court for possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and resisting arrest without violence, according to court records. Bradshaw was arrested in April and May 2007 for possession of marijuana.

Green, of Perry, spent nearly nine months in prison from 2004 to 2005 for selling marijuana and aggravated assault in Taylor County, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.



Updated 7:20 a.m.

Investigators are looking for a 23-year-old missing woman in rural Jefferson County.

They've gathered off a dirt road in the Wacissa area in hopes of finding Rachel Hoffman, who went missing Wednesday while assisting Tallahassee police officers with an operation.

"We're hoping for the best," said Jefferson County Sheriff David Hobbs, who was on his way to the scene this morning.

A reporter and photographer have been sent to the scene.

Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this breaking story.


Updated 8:39 a.m.

The Tallahassee Police Department has blocked off a road in rural Jefferson County where investigators are concentrating their efforts to find a missing 23-year-old woman.

Officers are restricting access to the Thomas City Grade, a paved road near Wacissa, to law-enforcement and emergency vehicles.

Officers are not letting members of the media near the search scene. There's still no word on whether Rachel Hoffman has been found.

Meanwhile, Hoffman's father said he is offering a $150,000 reward for the safe return of his daughter.

“This is my daughter," said Irv Hoffman of Palm Harbor. "My heart’s broken. We just want Rachel home safely."

Hoffman was at his daughter's apartment in Tallahassee this morning.

Rachel Hoffman, a Florida State University graduate, went missing Wednesday night while assisting Tallahassee police in an investigation.

Two men have been arrested on kidnapping and armed-robbery charges in connection with her disappearance. They are Andrea J. Green and Deneilo Bradshaw. Both were arrested in Orlando by agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.


Updated 9:24 a.m.

An update by investigators on the search for missing 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman is expected later this morning.

David McCranie, spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department, said he will be talking with members of the media about 11 a.m. in Jefferson County.

Law-enforcement officers have been searching a rural site near Wacissa for Hoffman, who disappeared Wednesday night while assisting Tallahassee police in an investigation.

There's still no word on whether Hoffman, a Florida State University graduate, has been found.

Two men, Andrea J. Green and Deneilo Bradshaw, were arrested Thursday in Orlando on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery in connection with Hoffman's disappearance. They were arrested by agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS01/805090343/1010

[Grande]

NOT GOOD!

Based on what is known I think it's pretty clear what kind of 'police operation' she was involved in.

Is busting a dealer worth a young woman's life???

I HOPE THIS ISN'T THE CASE.

My prayers thoughts and prayers are with Rachel's family. :1222423:

[wheezer]

NOT GOOD!

Based on what is known I think it's pretty clear what kind of 'police operation' she was involved in.

Is busting a dealer worth a young woman's life???

I HOPE THIS ISN'T THE CASE.

My prayers thoughts and prayers are with Rachel's family. :1222423:

I completely agree Grande. From the minute I read it, I was just sick.

[TeeOne]

Being new, I was wondering if 'that' is what it met...how sad and wrong!

[Grande]

Rachel Hoffman Found Dead
Last Updated: 11:52 AM May 9, 2008

Eyewitness News has learned that the Tallahassee woman who went missing Wednesday night has been found dead.

Tallahassee Police say 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman's body was found in rural Taylor County near the Jefferson Co.-Taylor Co. line.

Officials have arrested two men in connection with the disappearance of the Tallahassee woman.

Hoffman was last seen Wednesday night at about 7 p.m near ForestMeadows Park on North Meridian Road.

Officials found her car at around 12 o'clock Thursday afternoon. It was parked under a tree in the parking lot of United Welding Services in Perry, Florida.

Hoffman was assisting Tallahassee Police with an investigation.

Officials say they have arrested Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw for kidnapping and robbery. TPD is pursuing murder charges against Bradshaw and Green.

Green and Bradshaw were found in Orlando and lead investigators to body.

We have a crew on the scene and will have a live report on Eyewitness News at Noon.

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/18800289.html

[Roamer]

My condolences to her family. :1222423:

[Faith]

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[wheezer]

:1222423:

[Grande]

:1222423:

[AU_Grad]

So very sad... My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

:1222423: :1222423:

[packy]

My condolences to her family. :1222423:

[Claudia]

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[wheezer]

It's a very complex situation with many questions to be answered about why Rachel Hoffman was compromised. "There were attempts to track her. There were attempts to try and stop her physically but things just didn't happen in our favor that day." said David McCranie, spokesperson for the Tallahassee Police Department.

As time ran out for Rachel Hoffman--the Tallahassee Police Department says it was her false judgment which placed her in a situation with no out. Initially, Hoffman was asked to purchase 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces crack/cocaine, and a firearm from Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw--two men brought to the attention of authorities by Hoffman.

TPD says Green and Bradshaw were the men she decided to meet alone. Chief Dennis Jones with TPD said, "Unfortunately, Rachel chose to ignore precautions established in a previous briefing, as well as the direction of our police agent, who desperately told Rachel not to leave the park area."

Now--Green and Bradshaw are in jail in Leon County and suspected of Hoffman's murder. Johnny Devine, an attorney for the Hoffman family, feels the situation is unfortunate not only for her death--saying the risk greatly outweighs the reward for informants.

"You have to fight to get them a benefit for that sometimes, but if you're going to put yourself in harms way like this, I don't think there is anything that is worth that." said Devine.

The Tallahassee Police Department claims they know of at least one family member, for a fact, who new about Hoffman's role as an informant. However, her attorney says nobody knew.

Devine very emotional about the incident said, "I would have love to have the opportunity to at least have sat down with her at the time this was being talked with her--I don't know how it was discussed to her--I don't know how it was put to her.....my job as a lawyer is to protect her, anyway I can, that's not just in the courtroom."

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/18821059.html

[packy]

I inderstand it's complex but bottom line is just what did give her away, or did they just want her money. So sad.

[TigressPen]

:1222423: For Rachel

[Roamer]

I inderstand it's complex but bottom line is just what did give her away, or did they just want her money. So sad.

I've seen it happen many times when I was with the PD. When an informant turns someone in, somehow word spreads, and they get death threats. Someone carrried theirs out on this young girl. :(

[wheezer]

http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/VIDEO/80509031/-1/RSS18


Video: TPD press conference about Hoffman case

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It was a somber sight tonight, Friday May 9th, as friends of Rachel Hoffman got together to remember the life of a friend they say will never be forgotten. Hoffman graduated from Florida State University in August 2007. The vibrant 23 year-old woman from Clearwater Beach is described by her friends as an amazing person with a bright smile, who never judged anyone.

They say among many things Hoffman loved to cook, travel, and loved music festivals. "Rachel was a really outgoing, adventurous, open-minded woman that you know wanted to see the world and really wanted to experience what the world had to offer," said Paul Levine, Rachel Hoffman's friend. "She loved to cook and she loved to please, she loved making other people happy by cooking for them. She was an amazing cook...all the time," said JB Lawrence, Rachel Hoffman's friend.

Friends say her future was bright. They say she had a lot of potential and much to offer the world. Hoffman was planning on going to Phoenix, Arizona to attend culinary school. Many of her friends are in shock and wouldn't comment on camera...but say she was a giving person who was involved in the community.

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/18802024.html

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TALLAHASSEE – Attorneys for Slain Rachel Hoffman have issued a response to the Press Release held by the Tallahassee Police Department on May 9, 2008 on behalf of the Hoffman Family.

Local attorneys Johnny Devine with the Law Office of Johnny Devine, P.A., and Danielle Joyner Kelley with the Law Offices of Marie Mattox, P.A. have issued a statement on Saturday, May 10, 2008 responding to the press conference that was held yesterday by the Tallahassee Police Department. Both attorneys and their firms are representing the Hoffman Family. The following is a joint statement by both attorneys:

Today, the community of Tallahassee, Florida mourns the loss of a beautiful girl. Today, those living in Pinellas County and the Clearwater Beach, Florida area mourn the loss of a beautiful citizen. Today, the State of Florida mourns the loss of a vibrant, intelligent, beautiful, and loving young woman.

No one feels this loss more strongly than the family and friends of Rachel Hoffman, whose life was taken in a senseless act of extreme violence. The anger and outrage in the community is great, and many questions are beginning to surface. The family is in the middle of grieving Rachel’s murder. Yesterday, they had only known for a short time that she was killed and would never be coming back. On that very day, a press conference was held by the Tallahassee Police Department regarding the death of Rachel.

From the press conference’s inception, the Tallahassee Police Department took the opportunity to inform the community of the victim’s criminal charges, and made the point, both directly and indirectly, that her death was the result of her breaking protocol during the sting operation. The family and the attorneys for Rachel Hoffman have serious concerns about the statement that Rachel somehow caused her own death.

Rachel Hoffman was a 23-year-old woman, a graduate of Florida State University, and a daughter, beloved family member, and friend. At no time during the press conference was it addressed that Rachel Hoffman was not a trained law enforcement officer, was not on the Tallahassee Police Department Vice Squad Unit, or that she had taken any training classes regarding the Tallahassee Police Department’s “protocol”.

It was not addressed why Rachel was placed in this situation in the first instance, other than she had criminal charges pending. However, even with criminal charges pending, the main concern is how Rachel came to this position and what measures were taken in order for her to agree to go there. Her family and attorneys believe it was her involvement in the drug sting that led to Rachel’s death, and not the fact that she allegedly broke any protocol, but rather that she was led to the site in the first place.

At no time was it discussed how police lost sight of her or what precautions they took to prevent her from being lost. At no time was it discussed what safety precautions were taken by police who knew she would be meeting with armed individuals.

At no time during the press conference was it addressed that Rachel Hoffman had no pending or past cocaine or handgun charges in the very county where she was to meet the individuals, yet she was sent into a sting operation to buy cocaine and a handgun. It was never addressed whether her vicious murder was committed with the very handgun she was going to purchase.

At no time during the press conference was it addressed that with regard to her first drug charges for which she was in drug court, a diversionary program, that she had a defense attorney who was representing her. The new charges that led to her agreement to become a confidential informant would have affected her success in drug court.

However, her defense attorney, Johnny Devine, was not notified. Mr. Devine’s client was talked to by the police regarding this matter. However, her attorney was not present nor was he notified. No details regarding this meeting were discussed at the press conference, although had Rachel asked to consult with her attorney and been denied that right, it would have been a severe miscarriage of justice. It was not discussed what charges she was told she was facing, or how much time she would spend in jail for them.

Although a concern for the family was expressed at the press conference, it was greatly overshadowed by an immediate shift to the victim’s criminal record and details of how she caused her own death by botching a sting operation. No where was it discussed why a 5 foot 7 inch, 135 pound young woman was sent into an operation to buy items that she herself has never been accused of having in her own possession.

During the press conference, mention of the fact that the Tallahassee Police Department did not know the two men that Rachel was helping to set up in a drug bust that night came immediately to light. However, at no time during that press conference was it addressed whether or not the Tallahassee Police Department has any policy or protocol of whether or not the research the very suspects and review their criminal record before they send in a confidential informant to bust them.

At no time was it discussed whether or not Rachel knew how dangerous those individuals truly were. Clearly, the police knew about the individuals by the time they were trying to get Rachel to set them up for arrest. And most definitely, the police were aware of the individuals’ identity in order for them to find them in Orlando, Florida so suddenly and take them into custody.

Bringing to light the victim’s criminal charges, her alleged faults during a sting operation, and repeatedly addressing the fact, in so many different words, that the Tallahassee Police Department is not responsible for the death of Rachel Hoffman did nothing to inform the public about what truly happened the night of the drug sting. It did nothing to inform the public about what is going to happen to the individuals who killed her. It did nothing to inform the public about what policies and procedures are in place to protect a confidential informant before they engage in a police drug sting.

The only purpose this information served was to both attack a woman who has been taken away from society in a ruthless, reckless, and vicious manner, and to allow her family to watch it all on television while they are still reeling from the shock of their loved ones death.

Today, a family is still grieving and a public outcry is being heard. Tomorrow, a mother will spend a Mother’s Day planning a funeral for her daughter. The attorneys for the family of Rachel Hoffman wish that her memory and her family’s well-being stay first and foremost in the minds of everyone who mourns her loss. People will remember Rachel fondly at her funeral and speak well of her. She deserves no less from the very government agency, the Tallahassee Police Department, which she helped to risk and ultimately lost her life trying to help.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/18830539.html

[wheezer]

Family members of two men arrested in connection with the death of a Tallahassee woman are offering condolences to her parents.
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"My heart goes out to (Rachel Hoffman's mother), and I apologize for whatever part my son has played in this event," Judianna Freeman, the mother of Deneilo Bradshaw, said.

Officials with the Tallahassee Police Department say murder charges are pending against Bradshaw, 22, and his brother-in-law, Andrea J. Green, 25. Police say Bradshaw and Green helped lead them Friday to the body of Rachel Hoffman, 23. She was last seen Wednesday while working as a TPD informant.

Freeman, and her husband, Karey, say they think it's possible the two men were mixed up in the situation, but they do not believe the men are responsible for Hoffman's death.

"I am in disbelief that our child would commit such a crime as to take someone's life," said Karey Freeman, Bradshaw's stepfather and Green's father-in-law.

Green and Bradshaw were arrested Thursday in Orlando. The Freemans, who live in Tallahassee and own two landscaping and nursery companies, contacted the Tallahassee Democrat to speak about the situation.

"This is not the child we raised," Judianna Freeman said. "If someone had told me he would do this, I would have said no."

Bradshaw grew up in the Virgin Islands. Judianna Freeman, his mother, said she took him to church every Sunday when he was a child. The family moved to Tallahassee in 2004. The Freemans have 10 other children between them.

Green married Karey Freeman's 26-year-old daughter less than a year ago.

Bradshaw and Green had been working at a car detailing shop on West Tennessee Street next to the Greyhound Bus Station for the last few months.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080511/NEWS01/805110332/1010

[Nut44x4]

Tampa Tribune (Florida)
May 12, 2008 Monday

Parents blame Tallahassee police in drug informant's death
May 12--TALLAHASSEE -- Irv Hoffman and Margie Weiss spent Mother's Day planning their only child's funeral.

"We had to go to her apartment and turn off the utilities and go through her things. This was a kid who was going to go far in life," Weiss, of Safety Harbor, said Sunday during a drive back from Tallahassee.

Police say 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman's body was found early Friday in rural Taylor County, southeast of Tallahassee, after a two-day search. Two people are in custody.

The Pinellas County woman, a graduate of Countryside High School in Clearwater, was cooperating with the narcotics squad in an investigation when she disappeared Wednesday.

Her father said it didn't make any sense involving his daughter in a drug and weapons investigation.

"To throw her to the lions, it's just too unbearable to think about," said Hoffman, 58, of Palm Harbor.

At a news conference Sunday, attorneys for the woman's family said Hoffman should not have been placed in such a dangerous situation.

Attorney Johnny Devine criticized Tallahassee police, saying authorities blamed Hoffman, a recent graduate of Florida State University, for her death.

Hoffman, who was facing several felony charges, had agreed to cooperate with narcotics officers and was posing as a buyer.

Police have said Hoffman didn't follow protocol when she left with Andrea J. Green and Deneilo Bradshaw, who are now suspects in her disappearance and death.

Green and Bradshaw both face kidnapping and armed robbery charges. Jail records show they have not made court appearances or been granted bail.

Authorities should have done a better job protecting Hoffman, Devine said.

Her parents remembered a vivacious young woman who loved life and "was a shining light whenever she walked into a room," Weiss, 57, said.

"She was the most loving, beautiful girl you could meet," her father said.

"She wanted to go to culinary school. She wanted to open a restaurant with a friend. She loved nature, music and art," he said. "I feel like the wind has been kicked out of me."

Although Hoffman majored in psychology at FSU, her passion was cooking. She wanted to attend a culinary school in Arizona.

"She always had room in her heart and a place at a table," said Susan Mike, a family friend.

Weiss said she wants to push for a law in which confidential informants are required to seek legal advice before consenting to undercover work. She also wants marijuana convictions decriminalized.

She said her daughter called two weeks ago to tell her she wanted to work undercover with the Tallahassee police to expunge her arrest record, which included a marijuana charge. Weiss advised against it.

"It was totally wrong. She trusted them. She put her trust in them," she said.

Officers established a safe zone in the area where Hoffman was supposed to purchase ecstasy, cocaine and a gun, Tallahassee police spokesman David McCranie said. An investigator told her not to go to another location.

Devine, who represented Hoffman on previous drug charges, said neither he nor the state attorney's office knew about the arrangement.

Department policy did not call for the state attorney's office to be notified, and it was Hoffman's responsibility to inform her attorney of the situation, McCranie said.

The funeral service for Hoffman will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Temple Ahavat Shalom, 1575 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor.

"She was an innocent, and they try to slander her," Weiss said. "It's Mother's Day, and they're trying to make my daughter sound like a criminal."
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:790036127&start=3

[wheezer]

The funeral for Rachel Hoffman is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Temple Ahavat Shalom, 1575 Curlew Road, in Palm Harbor.
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Hoffman disappeared Wednesday while working as a confidential informant for the Tallahassee Police Department. Her body was found Friday in Taylor County. Two men have been arrested in connection with her death.

Check back with Tallahassee.com later today for coverage of the funeral.

http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/BREAKINGNEWS/80513004/-1/RSS06

[wheezer]

The Rachel Hoffman case is moving people into action... that was demonstrated today at a march on the old Capitol in Tallahassee.
About hundred people showed up... some were friends of Hoffman's protesting the way her death happened... while others were protesting drug laws.
A mixed bag of folks showed up to protest in front of the old Capitol in Tallahassee and then take a short march to the courthouse.
Some were there protesting how their friend Rachel Hoffman died... while trying to make a controlled purchase of drugs as a confidential informant for the police.
Protestor Allison Gendreau says, "The Tallahassee Police kind of put her in a bad position and we don't really want to sit down and take it. We kind of want to show everybody that we're mad that they messed up."
Some were members of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws... also known as NORML... protesting the illegal status of marijuana... saying this entire incident could have been avoided if marijuana was legal.
President of Florida State University's chapter of NORML John Mola
points out, "Rachel was an activist herself and she was a member of NORML and so we want people to know that, you know, the drug war is not working."
Yet others were there for philosophical and political reasons... taking a stance on all narcotics.
John Shaw, a candidate for Florida's House of Representatives Seat #9 says, "I'm proposing absolute legalization of all drugs not just marijuana. If you legalize marijuana I think it would help the economy."
But all expressed sadness over a young life lost in the current war on drugs.
Hoffman's cousin Rebecca Shillings says, "I understand the police department felt they were doing they're job, you know, and that they felt they were just getting, you know, the war on drugs taken care of and I understand that. I think there should have been some sort of trackingon my cousin."
Shillings traveled up from Brevard County to attend this protest for Hoffman.
But in the mist of all the shouts of protest and chanting, everyone... whatever their reason for being there... stopped to listen to the eulogy Hoffman's mother wrote for her only child.
"She was loved and she was amazing."
It was a moving end to a march that brought out people for different reasons... but they were very unified in their sadness over Rachel Hoffman's death.


http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/18963549.html

[wheezer]

Governor Charlie Crist expressed sympathy for former FSU student Rachel Hoffman...but he reserved placing judgment or blame just yet.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Bill McCollum's office stepped in as requested by Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Michael Jones. AG Inspector General, reviewing Tallahassee Police Department policies and procedures regarding confidential informants. Florida Department of Law Enforcement took over the investigation into the death of Rachel Hoffman. FSU NORMAL (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) held a memorial march for police accountability at the capitol Wednesday.

23-year-old Rachel Hoffman was accused of possessing marijuana...and in an effort to lessen legal penalties; she agreed to cooperate with Tallahassee Police as a confidential informant. She then went missing shortly after a drug sting went awry. Her body was found 2 days later.

"We need to let that process be completed and once it is we'll analyze what the results are and what changes should be made," said Governor Crist. "I'm not ready to announce any changes yet; I think that what we need to do is let that investigation unfold."

The two suspects accused of murdering Rachel are in custody on charges of kidnapping and robbery. They are being held without bond.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?s=rss&storyid=80446

[wheezer]

A rally and march protesting TPDÕs handling of the Rachel Hoffman case, who was murdered while being used as an informant for TPD. Rachel HoffmanÕs friends and the FSU chapter of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) were in attendance in downtown Tallahassee on Tuesday, May 14, 2008.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CD&Date=20080514&Category=PHOTOS03&ArtNo=805140808&Ref=PH

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Updated: Grand jury hearing expected in Rachel Hoffman case
by nic corbett • democrat staff writer • May 30, 2008
1:30 p.m. update

http://i25.tinypic.com/22nls.jpg

State prosecutors expect to schedule a grand jury hearing in the Rachel Hoffman case, but they are waiting on the investigation into her death to be completed and for a new grand jury to be impaneled, said State Attorney Willie Meggs.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is taking the lead on the investigation into the death of Hoffman, 23, a Florida State University graduate who was killed while working as a police informant during a May 7 drug sting.

Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 25, were arrested May 8 in Orlando in her kidnapping and armed robbery. They led investigators to her body in Taylor County May 9.

Both have entered conditional pleas of not guilty.

The current grand jury for Leon County will be disbanded June 2, and a new 21-member grand jury will be sworn in June 11, Meggs said. The members are picked randomly. Each grand jury lasts about six months.

“If at some point in time, if they are arrested for first-degree murder, all first-degree murders have to go to grand jury,” Meggs said. “I have every reason to believe that we will get to that stage.”

Bradshaw has a conflict attorney, Gregory Cummings, which means he has a conflict with co-defendant Green, who is represented by two assistant public defenders in the capital-murder division, Ines Suber and Steven Been.

“I don’t know what the conflict is,” Meggs said. “I would guess they may have differing defenses.”

Bradshaw has a case management conference set for August 13, and Green will be arraigned June 23. Both are being held in Leon County Jail with no bail.

Meanwhile, the Florida Attorney General’s Office has not completed its review of the Tallahassee Police Department’s internal policies and procedures, as related to the Hoffman case.

“While we do not have a specific timeline, we will complete our independent review as expeditiously as circumstances permit while striving to ensure the integrity of the process,” Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, said in a statement. “At this point in the review, it is too preliminary to determine what form any findings from this office might take.”

Morning update
Both defendants in the Rachel Hoffman case have entered conditional pleas of not guilty in her kidnapping and armed robbery.

Hoffman, 23, a 2007 Florida State University graduate, went missing May 7 while working as a police informant during a drug sting.

Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 25, were arrested May 8 in Orlando in connection with her death. They led investigators to her body in Taylor County May 9.

Green has been assigned assistant public defenders Ines Suber and Steven Been. Suber is chief of the capital-murder division.

Bradshaw has a conflict attorney, Gregory Cummings. Bradshaw and Green entered the pleas earlier this month.

State Attorney Willie Meggs said there will be a grand jury hearing in the case, but that it cannot be scheduled yet. The current grand jury will go out June 2, and a new grand jury has to be picked.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080530/BREAKINGNEWS/80530013

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My View column by father of the late Rachel Hoffman: Rachel's Law offers plenty to consider
Irv Hoffman • My View • May 31, 2008

My daughter, Rachel Hoffman, was a 23-year-old graduate of Florida State University who gave her life working under cover for the Tallahassee Police Department. The details of this event are still being investigated. But my meeting next week with state Sen. Mike Fasano about Rachel's Law concerns the process of becoming an undercover informant and preventing another vulnerable person whose judgment may be impaired or is under duress from being treated as expendable, then murdered.

Undercover informants are often addicted, young, frightened, vulnerable people who are looking at the ruin of their life and the threat of prosecution, and often they will do anything. Informants, civilians working under cover, are not being treated as helpers of law enforcement but as tools of law enforcement, tools of law enforcement that may at times be treated as expendable.

These are the qualities of informants:

Already addicted or having difficulties with substance abuse and self-control, which means that their mental thought process is already impaired.

Desperate to clear their record and desperate to avoid any jail time or pending charges, so these people are very vulnerable and easy to persuade.

Often times they may have an immature/idealistic view of authority figures that would put them in a position to think they are safe and protected.

Never taught any law-enforcement skills, never trained to work at this level of emotional intensity or qualified for this type of work.

Not trained to respond to or recognize unplanned dangers and contingencies.

Because of these facts, precautions or laws need to be put into place. There certainly need to be consequences and accountability for those individuals charged with substance abuse or possession. However, the actions to reduce the consequences need to correspond to the level of their crime and never should include death.

These are questions to consider:

Should the client's attorney be notified or, if the client has no legal representation, should the client be offered counsel with a public defender, family member or mental-health professional to give the client options or a second opinion to offer a more objective view of the situation?

Should a mental-health professional screen the client to assess his or her mental capacity and judgment before participating in this potentially lethal situation? The clients should never be treated as if they are expendable.

When knowing a gun is involved, never use a civilian. Civilians are not trained in the use of firearms, and they are easy prey to something going wrong.

How do we obtain information that protects the clients from the felons they will be facing and better ensure their safety?

If the clients are involved in a drug diversion program, would it not make sense to understand that their judgment is already impaired and they would need advice from an attorney, mental-health professional or family member while being offered the option and making the decision of working under cover?

Should we not clearly define what the informants would receive for putting their life on the line as informants, regardless of the outcome? For example, in the case of my daughter, Rachel Hoffman, she put her life on the line to clear her record, and upon her death her record was exploited and made public versus being expunged, as promised. Recently, another Florida parent shared with me the story of their child agreeing to go under cover to expunge her record. The police wired her and wanted a confession on tape, and when they did not receive the confession on tape, she was placed right back into jail without any regard for the risk she had taken, making a statement that her risk and cooperation meant nothing. Again, she, as an informant, was treated as expendable.

Should we not create an advocate program for informants that could make sure that all the steps above are carried out before the informants agree to enter into the process?

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080531/OPINION05/805310305

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State files armed robbery charges in Rachel Hoffman case
by nic corbett • democrat staff writer • June 4, 2008

The two defendants in the Rachel Hoffman case have been formally charged with armed robbery but not kidnapping, Assistant State Attorney Jackie Fulford said today.

Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 25, were arrested May 8 in Orlando on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery.

Fulford said her office is waiting until the homicide investigation is complete to decide whether to file the kidnapping charges against the two men.

Hoffman 23, a Florida State graduate who was killed while working as a police informant during a May 7 drug sting. Bradshaw and Green led investigators to her body in Taylor County on May 9.

The homicide investigation, which the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken the lead on, is still ongoing, said FDLE spokesman Phil Kiracofe.

Tuesday, Bradshaw’s case was transferred to the same criminal division as Green’s so that they could both be assigned to Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/BREAKINGNEWS/80604013

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Updated: Judge says defense in Hoffman case cannot directly question potential grand jurors
By Tabitha Yang and Nic Corbett • DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITERS • June 10, 2008

6:50 p.m. update
One of the defendants facing armed robbery charges in the Rachel Hoffman case was given permission to attend the selection of a new Leon County grand jury today, according to court documents.

Andrea Green, 25, and another man, Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, were arrested following the death of Hoffman, 23, a recent Florida State University graduate who was killed while participating in a May 7 drug sting. She became an informant after police found drugs in her apartment in April. Police say Hoffman was going to do a controlled drug buy from Bradshaw and Green at Forestmeadows Park that day, but that she didn’t follow protocol. Bradshaw and Green led investigators to her body in Taylor County on May 9.

Assistant Public Defender Ines Suber, who represents Green, called an emergency hearing Tuesday because she was concerned that the grand jury candidates may be biased against Green from the intense media coverage surrounding Hoffman’s death. Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker allowed Suber and the State Attorney’s Office to submit suggested questions for Circuit Judge Terry Lewis to ask potential jurors, but she will not allow them to directly question the jurors.

The State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office can challenge the selection of a juror, but the choice is ultimately Lewis.’ A grand jury is selected twice a year and is made up of 21 members. The new grand jury is expected to examine evidence in the death last month of Hoffman.

State Attorney Willie Meggs said his office would have made sure the judge checked for bias in the Hoffman case anyway. The grand jury that handed down an indictment on a high-profile case in Wakulla County was similarly screened, he said.

“What (the Public Defender’s Office is) asking to be done, we do all the time,” Meggs said.

At the hearing, Suber presented Dekker with a large stack of files filled with copies of media reports about the Hoffman case.

Articles about Hoffman on the Tallahassee Democrat’s Web site have accumulated as many as 600 comments from people saying that Suber’s client should get the death penalty or be put in the same cell as Gary Michael Hilton, the man charged in the slaying of a Crawfordville woman, Suber said.

“This is actually our community talking as a reaction to the publicity in this case,” Suber said.

11:22 a.m. update
A Leon County circuit judge has allowed the lawyer of one of the two defendants in the Rachel Hoffman death case to submit suggested questions to be asked of potential grand jurors, but not directly question them.

Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker said this morning at an emergency hearing that Assistant Public Defender Ines Suber, who represents defendant Andrea Green, can submit the questions by noon today.

Suber wanted to question the grand jurors to make sure they have not developed a bias against Green because of the media coverage surrounding the case, but this request was not granted.

State Attorney Willie Meggs said his office would have made sure the judge examined potential grand jurors for bias anyway. He said the grand jury that handed down an indictment on a high-profile case in Wakulla County was similarly screened.

"What (the Public Defender's Office is) asking to be done, we do all the time," Meggs said.

A new grand jury in Leon County is expected to be impaneled and sworn in Wednesday. It will be examining the death last month of Hoffman, who was killed working as a drug informant for the Tallahassee Police Department.

Green and another man, Deneilo Bradshaw, have been charged with armed robbery of Hoffman. Prosecutors are expected to seek murder charges against them.

Suber presented Dekker with a large stack of files filled with copies of media reports about the Hoffman case.

Articles about Hoffman on the Tallahassee Democrat’s Web site have accumulated as many as 600 comments from people saying that Suber's client should get the death penalty or be put in the same cell as Gary Michael Hilton, the man charged in the slaying of a Crawfordville woman, Suber said.

“This is actually our community talking as a reaction to the publicity in this case,” Suber said.

Hoffman, 23, a recent Florida State University graduate, was killed after participating in a May 7 drug sting. She became an informant after police found drugs in her apartment in April. Police say Hoffman was going to do a controlled drug buy at Forestmeadows Park that day, but that she didn't follow protocol.

Bradshaw and Green led investigators to her body in Taylor County on May 9.

morning update
The attorney for one of two men arrested in connection with the Rachel Hoffman case wants to be able to challenge the selection of grand jurors responsible for bringing formal charges against her client.

Ines Suber, who represents Andrea Green, filed an emergency motion Friday to question the grand jurors to make sure they have not developed a bias against Green because of intense media coverage. She will go before Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker today to explain her concerns.

Richard Parker, the public defender for the eighth judicial circuit and president of the Florida Public Defender Association, said it's unusual for an attorney to file this type of motion.

"The only time I recall even asking for that was back in 1991 or 1992," he said. "The issue at that time was the pending indictment for Danny Rolling for Gainesville student murders."

The jurors are to be sworn in Wednesday.

Green was one of two men that Hoffman, 23, went to meet when she was killed while assisting police in an operation to catch drug dealers on May 7. The other person arrested, Deneilo Bradshaw, is being represented by a private attorney, Gary Cummings. He couldn't be reached Monday to answer if he'll make a similar challenge.

Chief Assistant State Attorney Jackie Fulford said she would be at Tuesday's hearing.

"We will oppose the motion," she said.

Parker said his request to question grand jurors was denied, but the judge did ask jurors some of the questions he suggested. He also said this type of motion is usually filed in instances where the case has received a lot of media attention.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/NEWS01/806100326

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ABC News
Police Informant's Death Brings New Law, Lawsuit
Botched Drug Sting Could Mean New Rules for Police

Dec. 26, 2008—

The murder of a 23-year-old Florida woman in a botched drug buy-bust operation this May could lead to changes in how confidential informants are recruited and used by the state's law enforcement.

23-year old Rachel Hoffman, a recent graduate of Florida State University, was murdered during a botched sting operation earlier this year.
(Courtesy Leon County Sheriff's Offic)

An official investigation found the Tallahassee Police Department had violated its own rules by recruiting Rachel Hoffman, a Florida State University graduate who was facing a drug charge and likely jail time after arrests for marijuana possession, and sending her alone into a dangerous undercover sting without training.

Florida state legislators are putting the finishing touches on a bill they are calling "Rachel's Law," which would tighten up rules on how the state's police recruit and use confidential informants. The law, which was first proposed by Rachel's father, Irv Hoffman, would require police in Florida to be more judicious in their selection of confidential informants and ensure the potential recruit has access to a lawyer.

Its likely sponsors, State Sen. Mike Fasano and State Rep. Peter Nehr, expect the bill to be considered when the legislature begins its regular session next spring. Both are Republican.

Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones has signed on as a supporter of the effort. "We need to do a better job with this," Jones said in September.

Jones' support was perhaps surprising. In the days after Hoffman's murder, Jones made public statements that Hoffman was a criminal who bore a large part of the blame for the botched sting and, by extension, her own death.

"I'm calling her a criminal," Jones told ABC News' Brian Ross in July. Jones said then that he did not accept that his department was in any way responsible for Hoffman's death. "Do we feel responsible? We're responsible for the safety of this community," he said.

Click here to watch the 20/20 investigation of the botched sting. http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5454035

Jones, who was reprimanded as a result of the investigation into Hoffman's murder, later apologized for those comments. "We were placing most of the blame on Rachel Hoffman. I regret that now," Jones said. "It made us look like we weren't taking responsibility for what happened."

Hoffman Parents Poised to Sue Tallahasssee

The two men Hoffman met as part of the May sting are in jail awaiting trial for her murder. One defendant, Andrea Green, has pled not guilty. The other, Deneilo Bradshaw, has not yet entered a plea, according to the court cleark's office.

Hoffman's parents are poised to sue the city of Tallahassee at the end of the month, according to their lawyer, Lance Block. The city has requested the family delay filing suit in order to negotiate a possible settlement out of court. Block said they are not inclined to hold up the suit.

Meanwhile, the only Tallahassee policeman fired over Hoffman's death wants to know why he was fired when higher-ups received only verbal reprimands  even if, like Deputy Police Chief John Proctor  they had approved his plan for the ill-fated operation.

Ryan Pender, who recruited Hoffman and planned the sting operation that went awry, is pushing to get his old job back, insisting that "the operational plan he put together was by the book, by the way he was trained. . . the way he and others in vice had done it for years," his lawyer, Paul Villaneuve, told ABCNews.com.

Tallahassee Police Department spokesman David McCranie said that Chief Jones "looked at the overall picture of everything that occurred and assigned responsibility based on the level of participation by each member of the department."

A spokesman for the police department declined comment on the matter, saying it was a question for the chief of police, who was "not in the building."
http://waronyou.com/forums/index.php?topic=4879.0

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I was looking for info on the 2 dirtbag's court hearings...still looking.

[Amusedtdth]

It's a very complex situation with many questions to be answered about why Rachel Hoffman was compromised. "There were attempts to track her. There were attempts to try and stop her physically but things just didn't happen in our favor that day." said David McCranie, spokesperson for the Tallahassee Police Department.

As time ran out for Rachel Hoffman--the Tallahassee Police Department says it was her false judgment which placed her in a situation with no out. Initially, Hoffman was asked to purchase 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces crack/cocaine, and a firearm from Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw--two men brought to the attention of authorities by Hoffman.
TPD says Green and Bradshaw were the men she decided to meet alone. Chief Dennis Jones with TPD said, "Unfortunately, Rachel chose to ignore precautions established in a previous briefing, as well as the direction of our police agent, who desperately told Rachel not to leave the park area."

Now--Green and Bradshaw are in jail in Leon County and suspected of Hoffman's murder. Johnny Devine, an attorney for the Hoffman family, feels the situation is unfortunate not only for her death--saying the risk greatly outweighs the reward for informants.

"You have to fight to get them a benefit for that sometimes, but if you're going to put yourself in harms way like this, I don't think there is anything that is worth that." said Devine.

The Tallahassee Police Department claims they know of at least one family member, for a fact, who new about Hoffman's role as an informant. However, her attorney says nobody knew.

Devine very emotional about the incident said, "I would have love to have the opportunity to at least have sat down with her at the time this was being talked with her--I don't know how it was discussed to her--I don't know how it was put to her.....my job as a lawyer is to protect her, anyway I can, that's not just in the courtroom."

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/18821059.html

I thought that is what they have "undercover agents" for. Placing this young woman in that situation IMO was absolutely wrong.
RIP Rachel