Timothy Hanson is a name shared by several distinct people who turn up in U.S. and Australian public records, and the searches that bring readers here usually point to one of three: a Pennsylvania man convicted of murder in 1988 for a killing he committed at fifteen, a Las Vegas barbecue chef shot dead in a 2020 double homicide, or an Army private killed in Iraq in 2008. Others by the name appear in a concussion class action against the NCAA, in Massachusetts and New York criminal filings, and in public life in Australia and the United States.
The 1987 Clearfield County Murder and 2018 Resentencing
On December 24, 1987, fifteen-year-old Timothy Hanson shot and killed David Smith at the Hanson home in Philipsburg, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Hanson was a fugitive from a juvenile facility at the time.1Gant News. Federal Court Upholds Timothy Hanson Murder Conviction A jury convicted him of first-degree murder on June 24, 1988, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.2WJAC TV. Resentencing for Man Convicted of 1987 Murder in Clearfield County
His appeals ran for more than two decades. The Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania denied his petition on September 12, 2008, and the Third Circuit affirmed on February 8, 2011, closing his federal appellate options.1Gant News. Federal Court Upholds Timothy Hanson Murder Conviction
The case reopened after the U.S. Supreme Court held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. Because Hanson was fifteen at the time of the killing, he qualified for resentencing.2WJAC TV. Resentencing for Man Convicted of 1987 Murder in Clearfield County In March 2018, Senior Judge David Grine imposed a new sentence of 25 years to life. Hanson had already served roughly 30 years and was expected to face a parole hearing shortly afterward.3Altoona Mirror. Teen Killers Seek Shorter Sentences
The 2020 Las Vegas Double Homicide
A different Timothy Hanson, 54, was the head chef at Rollin Smoke Barbeque in Las Vegas. On June 25, 2020, he was shot and killed alongside 71-year-old Mildred Olivo in the backyard of a home on the 4400 block of Mossy Rock Court. Police said the shooting grew out of a long-running feud between the suspect, Andrew Cote, and his neighbors. Hanson had reportedly gone to the property to protect Olivo, who feared her neighbors.4Las Vegas Review-Journal. Rollin Smoke Barbeque Chef Remembered for His Welcoming Ways
Cote, a 36-year-old former Las Vegas pastor, was charged with two counts of murder. A Clark County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on both counts in May 2022. On July 20, 2022, District Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 56 years, with credit for 756 days served.5Las Vegas Review-Journal. Ex-Las Vegas Pastor Receives Life Sentence for Double Homicide Cote’s defense attorney said he planned to appeal.6Law and Crime. Former Las Vegas Pastor Sentenced for Murder of Elderly Neighbor and Her Friend
Army PFC Timothy R. Hanson, Killed in Iraq in 2008
Army Private First Class Timothy R. Hanson, 23, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was killed on January 7, 2008, in Salman Pak, Iraq, by enemy small-arms fire while on nighttime guard duty in a tower. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was on his first tour after deploying in March 2007.7Military Times. Army PFC Timothy R. Hanson
Hanson graduated from Indian Trail Academy in Kenosha in June 2003, attended Northern Michigan University and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as a history student, and enlisted in April 2006. His family said he was drawn to World War II and the Civil War and hoped to make the military a career. He was the 83rd Wisconsin resident to die as a result of service in the Iraq War.8Pioneer Press. Body of Kenosha Soldier Killed in Iraq Returns Home He was later honored with a memorial tree at Fort Stewart’s Warriors Walk, and the garrison commander described him as “an outstanding mortar man whose comrades remember him as steady and reliable under fire.”9Coastal Courier. They All Count
NCAA Concussion Class Action
A Timothy Hanson filed a class action against the National Collegiate Athletic Association and California Lutheran University in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on January 26, 2019 (Case No. 1:19-cv-00344). The complaint alleged that the defendants recklessly disregarded the concussion and traumatic brain injury risks faced by football players at California Lutheran.10ClassAction.org. Hanson v. National Collegiate Athletic Association et al.
According to the complaint, the NCAA and the school did not put adequate concussion management protocols in place until 2010, failed to warn players about long-term risks such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, dementia, and depression, and pressured players to keep playing through concussion symptoms. Hanson alleged brain and neurocognitive injuries from his time on the football team. The amount in controversy was stated to exceed $5 million.10ClassAction.org. Hanson v. National Collegiate Athletic Association et al.
Other Criminal Filings
In June 2013, Timothy Hanson, then 27, of South Dennis, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of indecent assault and battery, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and additional related offenses tied to a Memorial Day weekend incident. Dennis Police investigated and alerted Harwich Police to a potentially related matter. He was held without bail at the Barnstable County Jail pending a dangerousness hearing.11Wicked Local. South Dennis Resident Charged
Timothy M. Hanson, 53, of Phoenix, New York, was arrested on August 11, 2016, by the New York State Police Computer Crime Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He was charged with one count of promoting a sexual performance by a child, a Class D felony, and three counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, each a Class E felony. Police said he shared videos of child pornography online and possessed additional files at his residence. He was arraigned in the Town of Schroeppel Court and held without bail at the Oswego County Jail.12Spectrum Local News. Phoenix Man Arrested on Child Porn Charges
Others by the Same Name
A few Timothy Hansons appear in public life without any criminal connection. In Victoria, Australia, Cr Timothy Hanson serves as Deputy Mayor and Central Ward Councillor for Mitchell Shire Council, elected to the deputy role on November 17, 2025, in a 5-to-4 vote.13Mitchell Shire Council. Cr Timothy Hanson14Dairy News Australia. Leaders Appointed: Mitchell to Be Led by Dougall and Hanson Retired Lt. Col. Tim Hanson served in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1985, flew two combat tours in Vietnam, and is credited with saving 12 lives in 1983 after a midair collision during a refueling mission; he wrote a book titled Prisoner of Peace.15Cape News. Veterans Spotlight: Tim Hanson, US Air Force Timothy W. Hanson is a mergers-and-acquisitions partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in Denver.16Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Timothy W. Hanson