The Cynthia Hoffman case is the 2019 murder of a 19-year-old Anchorage woman by a group of Alaska teenagers who had been promised $9 million by an Indiana man catfishing them online as a wealthy stranger named “Tyler.” Hoffman was lured to a hiking trail near Thunderbird Falls, bound with duct tape, shot in the head, and pushed into the Eklutna River. Four adult defendants pleaded guilty. The two principal conspirators, Darin Schilmiller and Denali Brehmer, each received 99 years in Alaska state prison. The two others, Caleb Leyland and Kayden McIntosh, received 30 and 70 years of active imprisonment respectively.
Who Cynthia Hoffman Was
Cynthia “CeeCee” Hoffman lived in Anchorage with her family and had developmental disabilities, as did her siblings. Her father, Timothy Hoffman, was protective, driving his children to and from school and checking in by phone every hour.1CBS News. Cynthia Hoffman Killed in Murder-for-Hire Scheme; Father Dies in Memorial Motorcycle Ride After she was killed, he described her vulnerability plainly: “My daughter trusted these people. My daughter just wanted friends.”
The Catfishing Scheme
Darin Schilmiller, then 21 and living in Indiana, posed online as a millionaire named “Tyler” and began an internet relationship with 18-year-old Denali Brehmer in Anchorage. Through that fake persona, he offered her $9 million to commit a murder and send him video proof.2BBC News. Cynthia Hoffman Murder Case Brehmer recruited others to help, including 16-year-old Kayden McIntosh, 19-year-old Caleb Leyland, and two juveniles whose names were not released.3Anchorage Daily News. Indiana Man Offered Millions of Dollars to Teens to Kill Cynthia Hoffman McIntosh was promised $750,000 for his role, and Leyland was promised $500,000.4Anchorage Daily News. Final Defendant in Thunderbird Falls Murder Sentenced to Decades in Prison The money did not exist.
Schilmiller and Brehmer also conspired separately to coerce a minor into producing sexually explicit images, which Brehmer sent to Schilmiller by text.5U.S. Department of Justice. Anchorage Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Pornography Both later faced federal child pornography charges alongside the murder case.
The Murder at Thunderbird Falls
On June 2, 2019, Brehmer and McIntosh lured Hoffman to the Thunderbird Falls trail along the Eklutna River near Chugiak, telling her they were going hiking. Once there, they bound her head and hands with duct tape. McIntosh shot her once in the back of the head using Brehmer’s gun.2BBC News. Cynthia Hoffman Murder Case Her body was pushed into the river. The group destroyed her clothing and belongings, and Brehmer texted Hoffman’s family claiming she had been dropped off at a different park. As Schilmiller had directed, Brehmer sent him video and photos of the attack.
How the Case Was Solved
Hoffman was reported missing on June 3, 2019. Suspects initially misdirected police, but a tip from a family member of one of the adult suspects that day suggested Hoffman may have been shot and pushed into water. After detectives questioned Brehmer and McIntosh, officers were dispatched to the Thunderbird Falls trail and recovered Hoffman’s body on the riverbank.6Anchorage Police Department. Homicide – Thunderbird Falls
Brehmer was arrested on June 7. Leyland and two juveniles were arrested on June 9. A search warrant for Brehmer’s phone turned up messages between her and “Tyler” that documented both the murder plan and the child pornography scheme, leading detectives to identify Schilmiller as a person of interest on June 11. Indiana State Police interviewed Schilmiller on June 9, and he admitted to the catfishing and to discussing the murder plot.2BBC News. Cynthia Hoffman Murder Case
The Sentences
All four adult defendants pleaded guilty. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson handled every state sentencing in the case.
Darin Schilmiller — 99 Years
Schilmiller pleaded guilty in August 2023 to solicitation to commit murder in the first degree; the original first- and second-degree murder charges were dismissed under the plea.7Anchorage Daily News. Indiana Man Sentenced to 99 Years in Prison for Thunderbird Falls Murder On January 11, 2024, Judge Peterson sentenced him to 99 years with none suspended, the maximum allowed under Alaska law. He is not eligible for discretionary parole until he has served at least 45 years. Peterson called the killing an “assassination” and Schilmiller a “master manipulator” and “worst offender.”8Alaska Department of Law. Darin Schilmiller Sentencing Press Release
Schilmiller separately pleaded guilty in federal court in July 2023 to one count of production of child pornography. On August 21, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline sentenced him to 30 years in federal prison followed by life on supervised release.9U.S. Department of Justice. Indiana Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Pornography The federal sentence runs concurrently with the state 99 years.10Alaska’s News Source. Judge Sentences Indiana Man in Thunderbird Falls Murder Case to 99 Years
Denali Brehmer — 99 Years
Brehmer pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of first-degree murder. Judge Peterson sentenced her to 99 years with none suspended and designated her a “worst offender.” He described the murder as “cold, calculated, and carried out to a ‘T'” and said video showing Hoffman duct-taped on the ground was “one of the most difficult pieces of evidence I’ve had to watch in this position.”11Alaska Department of Law. Denali Brehmer Sentencing Press Release Prosecutor Patrick McKay told the court, “She may not have pulled the trigger, but this never would have happened if it weren’t for Denali Brehmer.”
Brehmer also pleaded guilty in July 2023 to a federal charge of production of child pornography. On March 4, 2024, she was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by life on supervised release, to run concurrently with her state sentence.12Alaska’s News Source. Denali Brehmer Sentenced to 30-Year Prison Term for Child Pornography
Caleb Leyland — 30 Years Active
Leyland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He provided the vehicle used to carry out the killing and participated in planning, expecting payment. On August 22–23, 2024, Judge Peterson sentenced him to 40 years with 10 suspended, leaving 30 years of active imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised probation. The judge found Leyland had played a “minor role,” considered his youth, and cited “good prospects for rehabilitation.”13Alaska Department of Law. Caleb Leyland Sentencing Press Release Leyland told the court: “First and foremost, I am sincerely sorry. I feel ashamed that this heinous crime has happened. None of this would have happened if I had thought things through.”14Court TV. Man to Be Sentenced in Murder-for-Hire of 19-Year-Old Girl
Kayden McIntosh — 70 Years Active
McIntosh’s case took longest to resolve because he was 16 at the time of the killing, which raised constitutional questions about juvenile sentencing under Miller v. Alabama and related precedent. Originally charged as an adult with first-degree murder, he pleaded guilty in 2024 to second-degree murder, with the other counts dropped.15Alaska’s News Source. Anchorage Man Given 70-Year Sentence in Thunderbird Falls Murder
On November 14, 2025, Judge Peterson sentenced him to 85 years with 15 suspended, leaving 70 years of active imprisonment and 10 years of supervised probation. Prosecutors had sought 99 with 14 suspended, arguing the killing was planned and that McIntosh had minimized his role and concealed evidence.4Anchorage Daily News. Final Defendant in Thunderbird Falls Murder Sentenced to Decades in Prison Defense attorney Megan Comolli asked for 30 years, citing McIntosh’s homelessness at the time, a history of neglect and abuse, and juvenile brain development research. Peterson acknowledged those factors but called the crime a “cold, calculated murder” and said McIntosh “showed no real remorse and has never fully admitted his conduct.”16Alaska Department of Law. Kayden McIntosh Sentencing Press Release He was identified as the fourth and final defendant prosecuted in the case.
Appeals
As of mid-2025, both Schilmiller and Brehmer had filed appeals of their 99-year state sentences.17Alaska’s News Source. Family of Cynthia Hoffman Appears at Hearing No appeal has been publicly reported for Leyland or McIntosh.
Timothy Hoffman’s Death and the Memorial Ride
Cynthia’s father, Timothy Hoffman, attended court hearings for every defendant, often in his black leather biking jacket and with his support dog, Diego. Prosecutors called him a “zealous advocate” for his daughter. Each year he organized a memorial motorcycle ride on the anniversary of her death.
On June 2, 2024, during the fifth-anniversary ride, he lost control of his Harley Davidson near Mile 49 of the Parks Highway west of Wasilla. He was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at a hospital at age 58. His wife, Barbara “Jeanie” Hoffman, riding as a passenger, sustained life-threatening injuries including a broken back and skull fractures, and was later reported in stable condition in intensive care.18Anchorage Daily News. Father of Woman Murdered at Thunderbird Falls Dies During Motorcycle Memorial Ride19USA Today. Timothy Hoffman Dies in Daughter’s Motorcycle Run
CeeCee’s Memorial Ride has continued. In 2025 it was expanded to honor both Cynthia and Timothy, running a 60-mile route with stops at Hostetler Park, Thunderbird Falls (where riders threw roses from the bridge), and the site of Timothy’s fatal crash, ending in Big Lake. Cynthia’s uncle Donald Hoffman planned to ride Timothy’s motorcycle to complete the route. The family has partnered with Victims for Justice, an Anchorage-based organization, using the ride as a fundraiser for victim services.20Alaska’s News Source. Cynthia Hoffman’s Memorial Ride to Also Honor Late Father in 2025