News Pot dealer's tragic choice ended in death - Page 10

**chasedude** · 08-26-2008, 07:35 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5454035

15 min ABC video about Rachel Hoffman 23, a college student busted with dealing pot. She was given a choice to be an informant or 4 years in prison.
The "deal" she was on went terribly wrong ending in her death.

The Tallahassee police clearly were looking for the bust and were not taking her safety in mind. She was not a professional but was asked to purchase large quantities of drugs and a hand gun. She had no weapons charges but was asked to purchase one. The police blame her because she left the plan that was originally conceived.

The Tallahassee police FAILED horribly in so many ways.

Sorry if repost, I searched!

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMax

Did you know that in Missouri if you are caught growing more than 3 plants you have the possibility of life without parole?

Florida governor Charlie
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/16/2008 - 2:10am
Florida governor Charlie Crist expresses sympathy for informant's death... says "Let Attorney General Bill McCollum finish investigating this before we pass judgment."

...as he prepares to sign McCollum's bill into law -- a 3 year mandatory minimum for 25 plants.

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

I mentioned it, and it was.

Anyone who defends the police in this situation, probably didn't watch the video that was linked.

It's tragic, and unforgivable. The girl had no business being put in that position to begin with.

Lay the blame where it should be
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 07/31/2008 - 11:37am
The TPD is not at fault for Rachel Hoffman's death. Her and her murderers are to blame. Yes, the TPD asked her to be an informant. But they told her not to meet with the suspects on her own and she did it anyway. This is what got her killed. The police are not required to hold the informant's hand at all times or watch over them 24/7. Anyone who thinks that this is their job are really lacking in any common sense. I am very sorry that the parents are going through this right now. I couldn't imagine losing one of my children through any means. But the focus right now needs to be one the men who killed her and not demonizing the people protecting us

found on a webpage

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:21 PM

First she should not have been put into that postion at all. Since she was she should have been trained she was not. The TPD probably felt they were helping her out by not reporting it because if they did maybe the deal could not be worked out I don't know I feel they did threaten her and they should not have. So the TPD is at fault

MY question is

Why did she leave and go to the suspects after being told not to leave the park? If that is true if they told her that.

If she was then in a way it was her fault but in a way if she was trained she might have known better.

38yrsfan · 08-27-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

QFT

Quantum Field Theory?

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:39 PM

Timeline to Death

Rachel Hoffman Timetable

August 10, 2008
Tallahassee Democrat
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007: Tallahassee Police Department officer pulls over Rachel Hoffman for speeding on West Tennessee Street. He smells pot. First she says she'd been smoking with friends, then says there's pot in her purse. He arrests her after finding 25.7 grams of pot in a mason jar and $450 cash. She's sentenced to probation and community service and required to be in drug intervention program. She must submit to weekly drug tests, can't use drugs and can't be around people who use them.

Friday-Sunday, April 4-6, 2008: Hoffman taken to Leon County Jail for failure to appear for drug test. Friend later reports, "She tried to make light of it, but she was terrified."

Thursday, April 17: e_S.F.lbT.P.D. officers, acting on tip from confidential informant, raid Hoffman's apartment at Polos on Park and find about a quarter-pound of marijuana and six Ecstasy pills. Police find ledger with 11 names, with amounts next to them. (Grand jury later reports she told T.P.D. she sold 10 to 15 pounds of pot a week; experts and her friends express doubts.) She won't get into trouble for this bust, Investigator Ryan Pender tells her, if she'll work as C.I. for them and help bust other people. T.P.D. should notify State Attorney's Office because she's in drug program, but it doesn't.

Later in April: Someone who'd bought pot from Hoffman before introduces her to brothers-in-law Andrea Green, 25, and Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, who work at Tennessee Street detailing shop where she'd had her 2005 Volvo S40 cleaned. Green spent nearly nine months in prison (2004-05) for selling marijuana and aggravated assault in Taylor County, according to state Department of Corrections. Bradshaw was arrested in April and May 2007 on charges of possession of marijuana in Leon County and pleaded no contest.

Later in April: Police want to wire Hoffman and send her to detailing shop to buy drugs from Green and Bradshaw, but it's called off when the men can't come up with the number of Ecstasy pills she requested.

Monday, May 5: Hoffman goes to police station to plan another bust attempt. Plan is for her to tell Bradshaw and Green she's trying to get cocaine, Ecstasy and handgun for friends coming to town from Miami.

3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7: Pender tells Hoffman this is the night.

After 4 p.m.: Hoffman reports for weekly drug test, which she passes by cheating.

6 p.m.: Police listen as Hoffman calls Green. She says she'll pay him $13,000 cash for 1,500 Ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine and handgun. She's told to meet the men at Forestmeadows Park, 4750 Meridian Road. Plan has been reviewed by investigator, sergeant and captain and approved by lieutenant, deputy chief and chief. Fifteen TPD officers are taking part, plus three D.E.A. agents and one Florida Highway Patrol officer. She's assured she'll be safe.

After 6 p.m.: Hoffman drives toward Forestmeadows. She's not familiar with area. She has $13,000 in recorded bills. Police are monitoring her through listening device in her purse. Her friend Liza also is driving to Forestmeadows; Hoffman wants her to videotape bust.
6:34 p.m.: She messages her boyfriend: "I just got wired up. Wish me luck. I'm on my way."

About 6:40 p.m.: Green calls Hoffman and tells her to forget about Forestmeadows and meet him instead in parking lot of Royalty Plant Nursery, more than a mile north of Forestmeadows.

Time unknown: Hoffman calls Pender and says she's following Green and Bradshaw to Gardner Road, another half-mile away. Pender tells her not to. Call ends. Tree canopy keeps D.E.A. plane from tracking her. Only one officer participating knows where Gardner Road is.

6:41 p.m.: Hoffman messages boyfriend: "It's about to go down."

About 6:45 p.m.: Police lose contact with Hoffman. She doesn't answer phone calls. Listening device in purse isn't working.

Note: Phone-call times in this section come from T.P.D. probable-cause affidavit and grand-jury report. A.T.&T. records for Hoffman's cell phone indicate she made no calls on that phone after 5:28 p.m. May 7. They indicate she answered a call (thought to be from Pender) at 6:28 p.m. and three calls (thought to be from Green) at 6:30, 6:36 and 6:41. They also indicate she checked voice mail at 6:43 and 6:49 p.m. No later calls listed.

6:47 p.m.:e_S.F.lb Liza receives Hoffman's last message, calling off video: "It's far [referring to new location]. I'll call you after."

7:15 p.m.: Liza arrives at Forestmeadows, sees no sign of police or Hoffman, then continues north on Meridian. She never sees police or hears siren.

Time unknown: Investigators go to dead end of Gardner and find black flip-flop, three .25-caliber rounds (one spent, two live) and tire skid marks. No sign of Hoffman, Green, Bradshaw or their cars.

Several hours later: Hoffman's phone found in ditch on Centerville Road near Pisgah Church Road.

Time unknown: Investigators contact Green's relatives in Perry, who say they'd seen the two men later on night of scheduled bust. Relatives say both had lots of cash, later determined to be some of money Hoffman had with her.

2:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8: Two robbery detectives arrive at boyfriend's house. He tells them Hoffman isn't there.

3 a.m.: Police knock on door of house where Liza is staying. She tells them she thought they had Hoffman.

6:30 a.m.: Police announce Hoffman is missing and endangered and foul play is suspected.

Noon: Authorities find Hoffman's Volvo on Industrial Park Drive in Perry.

5 p.m.: F.D.L.E. agents arrest Green and Bradshaw in Orlando.

6 a.m. Friday, May 9: Green and Bradshaw booked into Leon County Jail. Then they lead investigators to Hoffman's body in rural Taylor County.

Monday, May 12: Attorney General's Office agrees to review events leading to Hoffman's death after request from Police Chief Dennis Jones and City Manager Anita Favors Thompson.

Wednesday, June 4: State Attorney's Office officially charges Green and Bradshaw with armed robbery.

Wednesday and Thursday, July 30-31: Leon County grand jury hears testimony.

Friday, Aug. 1: Grand jury indicts Green and Bradshaw on charge of first-degree murder and blasts T.P.D.'s "poor planning and supervision" and "unconscionable" decision" that "handed Ms. Hoffman to Bradshaw and Green to rob and kill her." It recommends T.P.D. "take corrective action immediately... and whatever disciplinary action it deems appropriate."

Monday, Aug. 4: T.P.D. places five officers involved in the Hoffman operation on paid leave until internal-affairs investigation is complete.
Most times are approximate. Sources: Probable-cause affidavit used to charge Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw with armed robbery; April affidavit for search warrant for Hoffman's apartment; T.P.D. arrest report from February 2007; other court records; Tallahassee Democrat interview with Hoffman's friends; Hoffman's cell-phone records; Aug. 1 presentment from grand jury.

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:42 PM

Florida Prosecutor Stands Up For Rachel Hoffman, Refuses to Work With DEA
Printer Friendly Version Email this Article Posted in Chronicle Blog by Scott Morgan on Thu, 08/07/2008 - 9:27pm
The fallout following Rachel Hoffman's murder is becoming intense. DEA has refused to allow three agents to testify before a grand jury regarding their involvement in the case, resulting in a surprising backlash from the State Attorney's office:

State Attorney Willie Meggs has told the Tallahassee Democrat that his decision to no longer prosecute cases involving the federal Drug Enforcement Administration is, "probably more symbolic than it is substantive, but I am very serious about it."

He went on to say, "I'm just not going to play that little game with those folks. I don’t need them and if these agencies want to work with them and do their cases with them, that's fine." [Tallahassee Democrat]

Strong words indeed. This sort of vitriol is rarely exchanged between drug warriors and it seems to indicate a drawing of battlelines as we wait to see who'll be held to account for this now-legendary drug war f#%k-up.

Mark R. Trouville, DEA's Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division, predictably blamed his officers' non-compliance on a technicality:

We feel it is important for the public to know that DEA did not refuse to testify before the grand jury in this case. Although notified both verbally and in writing by DEA, the State Attorney’s Office refused to comply with Department of Justice regulations (which have been respected by the Florida Supreme Court) and therefore DEA Agents did not receive authorization to testify before the grand jury. In order to comply, the State Attorney’s Office simply needed to issue a subpoena and provide the local United States Attorney’s Office a summary of the information sought and its relevance to the proceeding.

This is the same guy who once claimed that today's marijuana "will kill you," so he has all the credibility of a drunk frat-boy on April Fool's Day. Thus I lean towards the assumption that DEA is covering its ass, which would explain why State Attorney Meggs is raging pissed.

To be honest though, I'm really not quite sure what the hell is going on here. I don't understand DEA's role in the murder because they won't testify, but in hindsight the fact that Rachel was told to purchase 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces of crack cocaine and a gun sure gives the impression that DEA may have been calling the shots. The conspicuously large order Rachel placed had a great deal to do with her cover being blown, so to whatever extent DEA may have been responsible for that, they would be equally responsible for the fatal outcome.

Ultimately, many people made many errors contributing to this horrible event, but we all know that it takes more than a few greedy cops to manufacture a tragedy as compelling and gut-wrenching as this. After the finger-pointing subsides, after a few sacrificial reassignments, re-trainings and procedural revisions, the war that killed Rachel Hoffman will rage on without missing a beat. The culture of threats and manipulation that characterizes modern drug enforcement will remain intact and the mentality that led to Rachel's death will continue to guide police as they take on the drug problem with handcuffs in one hand and a gun in the other.

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:50 PM

Details emerge on how woman became informer
By Demorris A. Lee and Jennifer Liberto, Times Staff Writers
In print: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

TALLAHASSEE — Rachel Hoffman sent a text message to her boyfriend soon before going undercover as a confidential informant for the Tallahassee Police Department.

"This is about to go down," he remembers her writing.

Two days later, her body was found in Taylor County. The drug sting had gone bad.

On Monday, Tallahassee police Chief Dennis Jones asked the Florida attorney general to review the events that led to Hoffman's death, including the Police Department's procedures.

"It's such an unusual occurrence, and with the public attention that's been called to it, it called not only for our internal review but also an outside review," Jones told the Tallahassee Democrat. "The AG seemed like a good place to get a second opinion."

Hoffman, 23, a graduate of Countryside High School in Pinellas County and Florida State University, was supposed to meet two men Wednesday to buy 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces of cocaine or crack and a gun. She had $12,000 to $15,000 in cash when she met the men, said her boyfriend, Ben Reeves.

At 6:41 p.m., she sent Reeves the last text message.

"She trusted the police," Reeves said. "The cops were supposed to keep her alive. She was a pawn in their game."

On Monday, State Attorney Willie Meggs and Tallahassee Mayor John Marks asked why other agencies weren't alerted about Hoffman's status as an informer and whether an "outside entity" should investigate.

"The Tallahassee community deserves an explanation of what occurred," Marks said. "I feel confident we will achieve that result."

The two men Hoffman had planned to meet — Andrea J. Green, 25, and Deneilo R. Bradshaw, 23 — were arrested in Orlando on charges of robbery and kidnapping. They have not been charged with murder.

New details released Monday shed more light on how Hoffman went from police informer to murder victim.

Hoffman had been twice arrested on charges of underage drinking and gotten three traffic tickets before February 2007.

That's when she was arrested on charges of marijuana possession and resisting arrest. She entered a pretrial drug diversion program to resolve those charges, according to court records.

She checked in regularly with the court but missed a hearing last summer, leading to another arrest, court records showed.

Then on April 17, Tallahassee police served a search warrant at her apartment and found marijuana and ecstasy, according to police records.

She faced "significant jail time" if she had been charged with running a drug house and intending to sell marijuana and ecstasy, Officer David McCranie said. Instead, he said, she agreed to become an informer, and police didn't press their case or book her as a result of the search.

"The police told her if she got guns and some bad drugs off the street, she would only have to do one or two stings," Reeves said. "She was supposed to do the bust and get off scot-free of her charges."
Both the Police Department and Hoffman kept mum about the arrangement.

Hoffman, whose funeral is today, only told her mother, Margie Weiss.

"She told her daughter not to do it," said the family's attorney, Johnny Devine. "When she didn't hear back from her, she assumed she had taken her advice."

The FSU psychology graduate didn't mention a word of her work to her father, Irv Hoffman of Palm Harbor.

"I would have never let her do that," Hoffman said. "This is way out of her league."

Meggs said Monday his agency didn't know about the search in April. Police are supposed to alert him when a defendant has been arrested or has become an informer because "it's a violation of the drug court terms," he said.

"We're supposed to be alerted, but I don't know how many times we've not been alerted," Meggs said.
But the Tallahassee Police Department said its policy is to alert the State Attorney's Office when an offender has violated probation. Hoffman wasn't on probation, McCranie said. She was on "diversion."

"Diversion is significantly different from probation, and such a charge would not hamper her ability to complete the diversion program," McCranie said.

McCranie said Hoffman was advised to the dangers of the job.

"We weren't trying to hide anything here," he said. "Our job is not to ask you or give you legal advice. Ours is to provide you with some options, and then you as an adult, make the informed decision."

Informers do not go through any formal training, but they are advised of police procedure and rules, McCranie said. The agency has maintained that Hoffman "broke protocol," when she agreed to follow Green and Bradshaw to an "off-site" location.

The agency lost track of her until her body turned up.

Hoffman's service is at 11 a.m. today at Temple Ahavat Shalom, 1575 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor.

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 02:53 PM

http://journals.aol.com/rmckin2146/rachel-hoffman/

Coverage of murder trial

KingPriest2 · 08-27-2008, 03:05 PM

Friends provide a glimpse into Hoffman's final night
By Jennifer Portman • DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER • July 13, 2008

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Rachel Hoffman wasn't worried. It was she, two of her closest friends say, who reassured them that nothing bad would happen if she helped the Tallahassee Police Department catch a couple of drug dealers.

She wouldn't go to jail for the less than half a pound of marijuana and handful of Ecstasy tabs police had found when they busted her at her apartment in April and asked her to become a confidential informant. She wouldn't get in trouble for violating the terms of her court-ordered drug diversion program. Her parents wouldn't find out.

The 23-year-old Florida State graduate would finally be able to get out of Tallahassee with her psychology degree and go to culinary school, where she could nurture her passion for food.

"The police told her all she had to do was one big deal; that's all she had to do," her boyfriend said, on the condition that his name not be used. "I told her, 'Don't believe everything they tell you.'"

Her boyfriend, 23, and another close friend sat down with the Tallahassee Democrat last week, two months after Hoffman's undercover work got her killed. As questions about police procedure pile up and two defendants wait in jail for a grand jury to consider murder charges, her friends' recollections shed light on her last night and on the path that led to it.

'Police will save me'

The police told her they'd never lost an informant. She'd be wired, she told her friends, and they'd be watching her all the time. When the deal went down, they'd all come pouring out of unmarked cars like the agents in her favorite reality show, "DEA," which follows federal officers fighting drug crime in Detroit.

"She said, 'Don't worry about it — the police are going to swoop in and save me,'" her boyfriend said.

Hoffman wanted to watch her own real-life drama go down. Her friend Liza agreed to be there May 7 to shoot video when the bust happened. Except the planned buy at Forestmeadows Park was derailed and no video was shot.

"She wasn't scared, she wasn't nervous," said Liza, who agreed to the interview provided her last name was withheld. "She was like, 'You guys worry too much.' She said the worst thing (the police) said would happen is they might have to tackle her to the ground."

When officers came looking for Hoffman before dawn May 8, about seven hours after she was to have bought drugs and a handgun from Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw at the park in northern Leon County, both her boyfriend and Liza told them the same thing: "I thought she was with you guys."

Hoffman's boyfriend remembers one of the two officers at his door around 2:30 a.m. replying, "She was, until she went crazy."

The following morning police finally found Hoffman, dead of multiple gunshot wounds, 50 miles away in Taylor County woods.

When it all began

Immediately after Tallahassee police raided her apartment April 17, Hoffman went to her boyfriend's house and told him about the deal she'd cut. Over the next three weeks, she would tell him and Liza all about her work as a confidential informant.

"They wanted her to turn in her friends, and she wouldn't do that," said Liza, a 24-year-old FSU graduate student. "She said she wanted to get some grimy people off the street. She wanted to get bad guys."

At first she agreed to give up a guy she knew who dealt drugs and sometimes bought pot from her, her friends said. But after one controlled call from the police station, she confessed to him she was working for the police and asked him to help her find someone else to turn in.

Her friends said he hooked her up with Bradshaw and Green, who worked at a car detailing shop on Tennessee Street where she'd had her Volvo cleaned. One guy working there had smelled the aroma of pot in her car earlier this year and she'd offered to come back with a joint for a tip, but she never did.

Toward the end of April, she was set to go back to the area of the detailing shop, this time wired by police. Liza was ready with the video camera so Hoffman could see for herself what happened. She was planning to write a book about her life.

But when Bradshaw and Green said they couldn't come up with all the Ecstasy pills she was told to ask for, the bust was called off.

Hoffman liked the officers she was working with. She told Liza that her main contact, Investigator Ryan Pender, was cool. He joked with her; officers playfully teased her for being a hippie. When Pender saw that his real name was listed as a contact in her cell phone, he told her she should change it. He suggested his new handle, her boyfriend said: "Pooh Bear."

The weekend before she was killed, Hoffman hung out with her boyfriend, Liza and other friends at St. George Island and St. Teresa.

"The whole time we were at the beach she was on the phone with Pender," her boyfriend said, working to set up another bust attempt.
She and her boyfriend came back Monday morning. She went to the police station that evening to plan a second try.

Her boyfriend was suspicious of the set-up, the cocaine, the large number of pills, the gun. Hoffman, her friends said, hated guns. She'd told Bradshaw and Green she was trying to get the stuff for friends in Miami, he said. Then he learned she'd have $12,000 to $15,000 in cash.

"I said, 'That sounds so sketchy,'" he said. "I told her she was going to get robbed."

The last day

On Wednesday, May 7, Hoffman dropped her car off to be serviced at the Volvo dealership on West Tennessee so she could drive down to southwest Florida that weekend to see her mom on Mother's Day. The courtesy van took her home, and she slept most of the day. Pender called around 3:30 p.m., her boyfriend said. Tonight was the night.

A little after 4 p.m., Hoffman's boyfriend said he drove her to her usual weekly drug test, which she passed by cheating with the help of The Whizzinator tucked under her skirt. Then he dropped her off at the dealership.

"I drove her to her drug test and I drove her to get her car and that's the last I saw her," he said. "She looked over her shoulder and gave me a wave."

Hoffman, her friends said, sent between 50 and 100 text messages a day. The day of the controlled bust was no different. Her boyfriend and Liza got what may have been her last ones. They help fill in the fragmented timeline offered by police in Bradshaw and Green's arrest affidavit.

At 6:34 p.m., she messaged her boyfriend: "I just got wired up. Wish me luck. I'm on my way."

At about 6:40 p.m. police say, Hoffman got a call from Green telling her to forget the park and instead meet him in the nearby parking lot of Royalty Plant Nursery, just north on Meridian Road. Hoffman then called Pender — the time is not noted in the police affidavit — and said she was following Green. The officer told her not to go, then the call ended.

At 6:41 p.m. Hoffman's boyfriend received his last message from her: "It's about to go down."

At about 6:45 p.m. police say they lost contact with Hoffman.

Then, at 6:47 p.m., Liza received Hoffman's last message, calling off the video her friend was set to make of the SWAT team charging in: "It's far. I'll call you after."

But Liza was almost at Forestmeadows already, so she kept going. She got to the park about 7:15 p.m. People were playing tennis; kids were in the playground. There was no sign of her friend or police. She decided to drive north on Meridian, past the nursery, past Gardner Road — where bullet casings and Hoffman's black flip-flop were later found — all the way to Georgia. She drove with the radio off and windows down, but never saw a cop, never heard a siren.

Neither Hoffman's boyfriend nor Liza was concerned when communication with their friend ended. Liza figured all went well and Hoffman was with her boyfriend. He thought she may have been arrested with Bradshaw and Green as part of the sting.

"I wasn't worried," Liza said. "The outcome that happened never really crossed my mind."

Hoffman's boyfriend messaged her at 9 p.m. but got no reply. He drove by her house around midnight and saw police cars near her apartment, but her car wasn't there. He tried to find out if she had been booked into jail, then fell asleep.

The day after

Police went to his parents' house around 2 a.m., looking for him. Two robbery detectives in dress shirts got to his place about a half-hour later. He did not let them inside but told them Hoffman wasn't there.

At about 3 a.m. police in bulletproof vests knocked on the door of another friend's house where Liza was spending the night. She, too, told them she thought Hoffman was with police.

Even then Liza didn't panic. Maybe her friend had just been robbed and dropped off somewhere. Maybe she was hiding out in the woods.

"She's really, really strong. I've never seen her cry," Liza said. "If she had a chance (to get away), she would have taken it."

When Hoffman's boyfriend woke up around 9 a.m., he checked Tallahassee.com and saw the alert that she was missing.

Liza went to Hoffman's apartment in the morning and the maintenance man let her in to feed her cat Bentley. She saw blue vinyl gloves in the trash; the couch cushions were turned over; Hoffman's bong was gone. It was clear to Liza the police had been there that morning.

Her boyfriend, Liza and other friends gathered at Hoffman's apartment that afternoon. Her parents had arrived. They helped clean up the place, did some dishes, ate leftovers out of the refrigerator and talked about Hoffman in the present tense.

"She was such a fantastic cook," Liza said, remembering Hoffman's gumbo and huge dinner parties where she would feed anyone who was hungry. "We were all trying to stay positive."

The friends left around midnight and her father, mother and stepfather slept at their daughter's place. About 9 a.m. the next day Hoffman's mother called Liza, telling her to call everyone else and come back to the apartment.

"I was the first one there," Liza said. "(Her mother) cried to me, 'She's dead!'"

'We want to know'

Police say Hoffman violated protocols by not listening to them and following the men who are now charged with robbing her and led police to her body.

But her friends say she was vulnerable, had no training and should never have been put in such a dangerous situation.

"No one should have to bury their daughter for a half-pound of marijuana," Liza said. "We want to know what happened, but her parents have a right to know."

Hoffman's boyfriend hopes he finds out what went so wrong after he received his last text from her: "I think everyone in Tallahassee has a right to know."

Fish · 08-27-2008, 03:35 PM

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.

There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Jewish Rabbi · 08-28-2008, 12:28 AM

A very sad loss for the Jewish community.

Abba-Dabba · 08-28-2008, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingPriest2

Lay the blame where it should be
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 07/31/2008 - 11:37am
The TPD is not at fault for Rachel Hoffman's death. Her and her murderers are to blame. Yes, the TPD asked her to be an informant. But they told her not to meet with the suspects on her own and she did it anyway. This is what got her killed. The police are not required to hold the informant's hand at all times or watch over them 24/7. Anyone who thinks that this is their job are really lacking in any common sense.

$13,000 of taxpayer money handed over to an informant is 13,000 reasons to have eye's on at all times while it is in the informants custody. Sloppy police work.

KC Jones · 08-28-2008, 06:10 AM

The only people who know what the Police said to Rachel Hoffman are the police and Rachel Hoffman. She's dead, and the first thing they did was call a press conference and attempt to cover their asses. Forgive me of being somewhat skeptical of their statement that they told her not to meet with the murderers, because I really doubt anyone would try to do a sting without police. I strongly suspect they just lost her.

beach tribe · 08-28-2008, 06:30 AM

The war on drugs is the DUMBEST thing ever. It will NEVER be won. One guy goes down, and it opens the opportunity for MORE criminals to take his place. Drugs will ALWAYS be accessible, no matter what these so call law enforcers try to do about.

It's a joke that puts money into the pockets of killers with badges.

**Lzen** · 08-28-2008, 09:17 AM

That is a messed up story. Those morons should be removed from their positions and thrown in jail.

08-26-2008, 07:35 PM
chasedude Supporter Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. Joe Casino cash: $9994900	Pot dealer's tragic choice ended in death http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5454035 15 min ABC video about Rachel Hoffman 23, a college student busted with dealing pot. She was given a choice to be an informant or 4 years in prison. The "deal" she was on went terribly wrong ending in her death. The Tallahassee police clearly were looking for the bust and were not taking her safety in mind. She was not a professional but was asked to purchase large quantities of drugs and a hand gun. She had no weapons charges but was asked to purchase one. The police blame her because she left the plan that was originally conceived. The Tallahassee police FAILED horribly in so many ways. Sorry if repost, I searched!
Posts: 36,287

08-27-2008, 02:21 PM	#138
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	First she should not have been put into that postion at all. Since she was she should have been trained she was not. The TPD probably felt they were helping her out by not reporting it because if they did maybe the deal could not be worked out I don't know I feel they did threaten her and they should not have. So the TPD is at fault MY question is Why did she leave and go to the suspects after being told not to leave the park? If that is true if they told her that. If she was then in a way it was her fault but in a way if she was trained she might have known better. __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 02:39 PM	#140
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	Timeline to Death Rachel Hoffman Timetable August 10, 2008 Tallahassee Democrat Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007: Tallahassee Police Department officer pulls over Rachel Hoffman for speeding on West Tennessee Street. He smells pot. First she says she'd been smoking with friends, then says there's pot in her purse. He arrests her after finding 25.7 grams of pot in a mason jar and $450 cash. She's sentenced to probation and community service and required to be in drug intervention program. She must submit to weekly drug tests, can't use drugs and can't be around people who use them. Friday-Sunday, April 4-6, 2008: Hoffman taken to Leon County Jail for failure to appear for drug test. Friend later reports, "She tried to make light of it, but she was terrified." Thursday, April 17: e_S.F.lbT.P.D. officers, acting on tip from confidential informant, raid Hoffman's apartment at Polos on Park and find about a quarter-pound of marijuana and six Ecstasy pills. Police find ledger with 11 names, with amounts next to them. (Grand jury later reports she told T.P.D. she sold 10 to 15 pounds of pot a week; experts and her friends express doubts.) She won't get into trouble for this bust, Investigator Ryan Pender tells her, if she'll work as C.I. for them and help bust other people. T.P.D. should notify State Attorney's Office because she's in drug program, but it doesn't. Later in April: Someone who'd bought pot from Hoffman before introduces her to brothers-in-law Andrea Green, 25, and Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, who work at Tennessee Street detailing shop where she'd had her 2005 Volvo S40 cleaned. Green spent nearly nine months in prison (2004-05) for selling marijuana and aggravated assault in Taylor County, according to state Department of Corrections. Bradshaw was arrested in April and May 2007 on charges of possession of marijuana in Leon County and pleaded no contest. Later in April: Police want to wire Hoffman and send her to detailing shop to buy drugs from Green and Bradshaw, but it's called off when the men can't come up with the number of Ecstasy pills she requested. Monday, May 5: Hoffman goes to police station to plan another bust attempt. Plan is for her to tell Bradshaw and Green she's trying to get cocaine, Ecstasy and handgun for friends coming to town from Miami. 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7: Pender tells Hoffman this is the night. After 4 p.m.: Hoffman reports for weekly drug test, which she passes by cheating. 6 p.m.: Police listen as Hoffman calls Green. She says she'll pay him $13,000 cash for 1,500 Ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine and handgun. She's told to meet the men at Forestmeadows Park, 4750 Meridian Road. Plan has been reviewed by investigator, sergeant and captain and approved by lieutenant, deputy chief and chief. Fifteen TPD officers are taking part, plus three D.E.A. agents and one Florida Highway Patrol officer. She's assured she'll be safe. After 6 p.m.: Hoffman drives toward Forestmeadows. She's not familiar with area. She has $13,000 in recorded bills. Police are monitoring her through listening device in her purse. Her friend Liza also is driving to Forestmeadows; Hoffman wants her to videotape bust. 6:34 p.m.: She messages her boyfriend: "I just got wired up. Wish me luck. I'm on my way." About 6:40 p.m.: Green calls Hoffman and tells her to forget about Forestmeadows and meet him instead in parking lot of Royalty Plant Nursery, more than a mile north of Forestmeadows. Time unknown: Hoffman calls Pender and says she's following Green and Bradshaw to Gardner Road, another half-mile away. Pender tells her not to. Call ends. Tree canopy keeps D.E.A. plane from tracking her. Only one officer participating knows where Gardner Road is. 6:41 p.m.: Hoffman messages boyfriend: "It's about to go down." About 6:45 p.m.: Police lose contact with Hoffman. She doesn't answer phone calls. Listening device in purse isn't working. Note: Phone-call times in this section come from T.P.D. probable-cause affidavit and grand-jury report. A.T.&T. records for Hoffman's cell phone indicate she made no calls on that phone after 5:28 p.m. May 7. They indicate she answered a call (thought to be from Pender) at 6:28 p.m. and three calls (thought to be from Green) at 6:30, 6:36 and 6:41. They also indicate she checked voice mail at 6:43 and 6:49 p.m. No later calls listed. 6:47 p.m.:e_S.F.lb Liza receives Hoffman's last message, calling off video: "It's far [referring to new location]. I'll call you after." 7:15 p.m.: Liza arrives at Forestmeadows, sees no sign of police or Hoffman, then continues north on Meridian. She never sees police or hears siren. Time unknown: Investigators go to dead end of Gardner and find black flip-flop, three .25-caliber rounds (one spent, two live) and tire skid marks. No sign of Hoffman, Green, Bradshaw or their cars. Several hours later: Hoffman's phone found in ditch on Centerville Road near Pisgah Church Road. Time unknown: Investigators contact Green's relatives in Perry, who say they'd seen the two men later on night of scheduled bust. Relatives say both had lots of cash, later determined to be some of money Hoffman had with her. 2:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8: Two robbery detectives arrive at boyfriend's house. He tells them Hoffman isn't there. 3 a.m.: Police knock on door of house where Liza is staying. She tells them she thought they had Hoffman. 6:30 a.m.: Police announce Hoffman is missing and endangered and foul play is suspected. Noon: Authorities find Hoffman's Volvo on Industrial Park Drive in Perry. 5 p.m.: F.D.L.E. agents arrest Green and Bradshaw in Orlando. 6 a.m. Friday, May 9: Green and Bradshaw booked into Leon County Jail. Then they lead investigators to Hoffman's body in rural Taylor County. Monday, May 12: Attorney General's Office agrees to review events leading to Hoffman's death after request from Police Chief Dennis Jones and City Manager Anita Favors Thompson. Wednesday, June 4: State Attorney's Office officially charges Green and Bradshaw with armed robbery. Wednesday and Thursday, July 30-31: Leon County grand jury hears testimony. Friday, Aug. 1: Grand jury indicts Green and Bradshaw on charge of first-degree murder and blasts T.P.D.'s "poor planning and supervision" and "unconscionable" decision" that "handed Ms. Hoffman to Bradshaw and Green to rob and kill her." It recommends T.P.D. "take corrective action immediately... and whatever disciplinary action it deems appropriate." Monday, Aug. 4: T.P.D. places five officers involved in the Hoffman operation on paid leave until internal-affairs investigation is complete. Most times are approximate. Sources: Probable-cause affidavit used to charge Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw with armed robbery; April affidavit for search warrant for Hoffman's apartment; T.P.D. arrest report from February 2007; other court records; Tallahassee Democrat interview with Hoffman's friends; Hoffman's cell-phone records; Aug. 1 presentment from grand jury. __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 02:42 PM	#141
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	Florida Prosecutor Stands Up For Rachel Hoffman, Refuses to Work With DEA Printer Friendly Version Email this Article Posted in Chronicle Blog by Scott Morgan on Thu, 08/07/2008 - 9:27pm The fallout following Rachel Hoffman's murder is becoming intense. DEA has refused to allow three agents to testify before a grand jury regarding their involvement in the case, resulting in a surprising backlash from the State Attorney's office: State Attorney Willie Meggs has told the Tallahassee Democrat that his decision to no longer prosecute cases involving the federal Drug Enforcement Administration is, "probably more symbolic than it is substantive, but I am very serious about it." He went on to say, "I'm just not going to play that little game with those folks. I don’t need them and if these agencies want to work with them and do their cases with them, that's fine." [Tallahassee Democrat] Strong words indeed. This sort of vitriol is rarely exchanged between drug warriors and it seems to indicate a drawing of battlelines as we wait to see who'll be held to account for this now-legendary drug war f#%k-up. Mark R. Trouville, DEA's Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division, predictably blamed his officers' non-compliance on a technicality: We feel it is important for the public to know that DEA did not refuse to testify before the grand jury in this case. Although notified both verbally and in writing by DEA, the State Attorney’s Office refused to comply with Department of Justice regulations (which have been respected by the Florida Supreme Court) and therefore DEA Agents did not receive authorization to testify before the grand jury. In order to comply, the State Attorney’s Office simply needed to issue a subpoena and provide the local United States Attorney’s Office a summary of the information sought and its relevance to the proceeding. This is the same guy who once claimed that today's marijuana "will kill you," so he has all the credibility of a drunk frat-boy on April Fool's Day. Thus I lean towards the assumption that DEA is covering its ass, which would explain why State Attorney Meggs is raging pissed. To be honest though, I'm really not quite sure what the hell is going on here. I don't understand DEA's role in the murder because they won't testify, but in hindsight the fact that Rachel was told to purchase 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces of crack cocaine and a gun sure gives the impression that DEA may have been calling the shots. The conspicuously large order Rachel placed had a great deal to do with her cover being blown, so to whatever extent DEA may have been responsible for that, they would be equally responsible for the fatal outcome. Ultimately, many people made many errors contributing to this horrible event, but we all know that it takes more than a few greedy cops to manufacture a tragedy as compelling and gut-wrenching as this. After the finger-pointing subsides, after a few sacrificial reassignments, re-trainings and procedural revisions, the war that killed Rachel Hoffman will rage on without missing a beat. The culture of threats and manipulation that characterizes modern drug enforcement will remain intact and the mentality that led to Rachel's death will continue to guide police as they take on the drug problem with handcuffs in one hand and a gun in the other. __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 02:50 PM	#142
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	Details emerge on how woman became informer By Demorris A. Lee and Jennifer Liberto, Times Staff Writers In print: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 TALLAHASSEE — Rachel Hoffman sent a text message to her boyfriend soon before going undercover as a confidential informant for the Tallahassee Police Department. "This is about to go down," he remembers her writing. Two days later, her body was found in Taylor County. The drug sting had gone bad. On Monday, Tallahassee police Chief Dennis Jones asked the Florida attorney general to review the events that led to Hoffman's death, including the Police Department's procedures. "It's such an unusual occurrence, and with the public attention that's been called to it, it called not only for our internal review but also an outside review," Jones told the Tallahassee Democrat. "The AG seemed like a good place to get a second opinion." Hoffman, 23, a graduate of Countryside High School in Pinellas County and Florida State University, was supposed to meet two men Wednesday to buy 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces of cocaine or crack and a gun. She had $12,000 to $15,000 in cash when she met the men, said her boyfriend, Ben Reeves. At 6:41 p.m., she sent Reeves the last text message. "She trusted the police," Reeves said. "The cops were supposed to keep her alive. She was a pawn in their game." On Monday, State Attorney Willie Meggs and Tallahassee Mayor John Marks asked why other agencies weren't alerted about Hoffman's status as an informer and whether an "outside entity" should investigate. "The Tallahassee community deserves an explanation of what occurred," Marks said. "I feel confident we will achieve that result." The two men Hoffman had planned to meet — Andrea J. Green, 25, and Deneilo R. Bradshaw, 23 — were arrested in Orlando on charges of robbery and kidnapping. They have not been charged with murder. New details released Monday shed more light on how Hoffman went from police informer to murder victim. Hoffman had been twice arrested on charges of underage drinking and gotten three traffic tickets before February 2007. That's when she was arrested on charges of marijuana possession and resisting arrest. She entered a pretrial drug diversion program to resolve those charges, according to court records. She checked in regularly with the court but missed a hearing last summer, leading to another arrest, court records showed. Then on April 17, Tallahassee police served a search warrant at her apartment and found marijuana and ecstasy, according to police records. She faced "significant jail time" if she had been charged with running a drug house and intending to sell marijuana and ecstasy, Officer David McCranie said. Instead, he said, she agreed to become an informer, and police didn't press their case or book her as a result of the search. "The police told her if she got guns and some bad drugs off the street, she would only have to do one or two stings," Reeves said. "She was supposed to do the bust and get off scot-free of her charges." Both the Police Department and Hoffman kept mum about the arrangement. Hoffman, whose funeral is today, only told her mother, Margie Weiss. "She told her daughter not to do it," said the family's attorney, Johnny Devine. "When she didn't hear back from her, she assumed she had taken her advice." The FSU psychology graduate didn't mention a word of her work to her father, Irv Hoffman of Palm Harbor. "I would have never let her do that," Hoffman said. "This is way out of her league." Meggs said Monday his agency didn't know about the search in April. Police are supposed to alert him when a defendant has been arrested or has become an informer because "it's a violation of the drug court terms," he said. "We're supposed to be alerted, but I don't know how many times we've not been alerted," Meggs said. But the Tallahassee Police Department said its policy is to alert the State Attorney's Office when an offender has violated probation. Hoffman wasn't on probation, McCranie said. She was on "diversion." "Diversion is significantly different from probation, and such a charge would not hamper her ability to complete the diversion program," McCranie said. McCranie said Hoffman was advised to the dangers of the job. "We weren't trying to hide anything here," he said. "Our job is not to ask you or give you legal advice. Ours is to provide you with some options, and then you as an adult, make the informed decision." Informers do not go through any formal training, but they are advised of police procedure and rules, McCranie said. The agency has maintained that Hoffman "broke protocol," when she agreed to follow Green and Bradshaw to an "off-site" location. The agency lost track of her until her body turned up. Hoffman's service is at 11 a.m. today at Temple Ahavat Shalom, 1575 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor. __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 02:53 PM	#143
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	http://journals.aol.com/rmckin2146/rachel-hoffman/ Coverage of murder trial __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 03:05 PM	#144
KingPriest2 Super Grover Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $8635135	Friends provide a glimpse into Hoffman's final night By Jennifer Portman • DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER • July 13, 2008 Read Comments(258)Recommend (17)Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? Rachel Hoffman wasn't worried. It was she, two of her closest friends say, who reassured them that nothing bad would happen if she helped the Tallahassee Police Department catch a couple of drug dealers. She wouldn't go to jail for the less than half a pound of marijuana and handful of Ecstasy tabs police had found when they busted her at her apartment in April and asked her to become a confidential informant. She wouldn't get in trouble for violating the terms of her court-ordered drug diversion program. Her parents wouldn't find out. The 23-year-old Florida State graduate would finally be able to get out of Tallahassee with her psychology degree and go to culinary school, where she could nurture her passion for food. "The police told her all she had to do was one big deal; that's all she had to do," her boyfriend said, on the condition that his name not be used. "I told her, 'Don't believe everything they tell you.'" Her boyfriend, 23, and another close friend sat down with the Tallahassee Democrat last week, two months after Hoffman's undercover work got her killed. As questions about police procedure pile up and two defendants wait in jail for a grand jury to consider murder charges, her friends' recollections shed light on her last night and on the path that led to it. 'Police will save me' The police told her they'd never lost an informant. She'd be wired, she told her friends, and they'd be watching her all the time. When the deal went down, they'd all come pouring out of unmarked cars like the agents in her favorite reality show, "DEA," which follows federal officers fighting drug crime in Detroit. "She said, 'Don't worry about it — the police are going to swoop in and save me,'" her boyfriend said. Hoffman wanted to watch her own real-life drama go down. Her friend Liza agreed to be there May 7 to shoot video when the bust happened. Except the planned buy at Forestmeadows Park was derailed and no video was shot. "She wasn't scared, she wasn't nervous," said Liza, who agreed to the interview provided her last name was withheld. "She was like, 'You guys worry too much.' She said the worst thing (the police) said would happen is they might have to tackle her to the ground." When officers came looking for Hoffman before dawn May 8, about seven hours after she was to have bought drugs and a handgun from Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw at the park in northern Leon County, both her boyfriend and Liza told them the same thing: "I thought she was with you guys." Hoffman's boyfriend remembers one of the two officers at his door around 2:30 a.m. replying, "She was, until she went crazy." The following morning police finally found Hoffman, dead of multiple gunshot wounds, 50 miles away in Taylor County woods. When it all began Immediately after Tallahassee police raided her apartment April 17, Hoffman went to her boyfriend's house and told him about the deal she'd cut. Over the next three weeks, she would tell him and Liza all about her work as a confidential informant. "They wanted her to turn in her friends, and she wouldn't do that," said Liza, a 24-year-old FSU graduate student. "She said she wanted to get some grimy people off the street. She wanted to get bad guys." At first she agreed to give up a guy she knew who dealt drugs and sometimes bought pot from her, her friends said. But after one controlled call from the police station, she confessed to him she was working for the police and asked him to help her find someone else to turn in. Her friends said he hooked her up with Bradshaw and Green, who worked at a car detailing shop on Tennessee Street where she'd had her Volvo cleaned. One guy working there had smelled the aroma of pot in her car earlier this year and she'd offered to come back with a joint for a tip, but she never did. Toward the end of April, she was set to go back to the area of the detailing shop, this time wired by police. Liza was ready with the video camera so Hoffman could see for herself what happened. She was planning to write a book about her life. But when Bradshaw and Green said they couldn't come up with all the Ecstasy pills she was told to ask for, the bust was called off. Hoffman liked the officers she was working with. She told Liza that her main contact, Investigator Ryan Pender, was cool. He joked with her; officers playfully teased her for being a hippie. When Pender saw that his real name was listed as a contact in her cell phone, he told her she should change it. He suggested his new handle, her boyfriend said: "Pooh Bear." The weekend before she was killed, Hoffman hung out with her boyfriend, Liza and other friends at St. George Island and St. Teresa. "The whole time we were at the beach she was on the phone with Pender," her boyfriend said, working to set up another bust attempt. She and her boyfriend came back Monday morning. She went to the police station that evening to plan a second try. Her boyfriend was suspicious of the set-up, the cocaine, the large number of pills, the gun. Hoffman, her friends said, hated guns. She'd told Bradshaw and Green she was trying to get the stuff for friends in Miami, he said. Then he learned she'd have $12,000 to $15,000 in cash. "I said, 'That sounds so sketchy,'" he said. "I told her she was going to get robbed." The last day On Wednesday, May 7, Hoffman dropped her car off to be serviced at the Volvo dealership on West Tennessee so she could drive down to southwest Florida that weekend to see her mom on Mother's Day. The courtesy van took her home, and she slept most of the day. Pender called around 3:30 p.m., her boyfriend said. Tonight was the night. A little after 4 p.m., Hoffman's boyfriend said he drove her to her usual weekly drug test, which she passed by cheating with the help of The Whizzinator tucked under her skirt. Then he dropped her off at the dealership. "I drove her to her drug test and I drove her to get her car and that's the last I saw her," he said. "She looked over her shoulder and gave me a wave." Hoffman, her friends said, sent between 50 and 100 text messages a day. The day of the controlled bust was no different. Her boyfriend and Liza got what may have been her last ones. They help fill in the fragmented timeline offered by police in Bradshaw and Green's arrest affidavit. At 6:34 p.m., she messaged her boyfriend: "I just got wired up. Wish me luck. I'm on my way." At about 6:40 p.m. police say, Hoffman got a call from Green telling her to forget the park and instead meet him in the nearby parking lot of Royalty Plant Nursery, just north on Meridian Road. Hoffman then called Pender — the time is not noted in the police affidavit — and said she was following Green. The officer told her not to go, then the call ended. At 6:41 p.m. Hoffman's boyfriend received his last message from her: "It's about to go down." At about 6:45 p.m. police say they lost contact with Hoffman. Then, at 6:47 p.m., Liza received Hoffman's last message, calling off the video her friend was set to make of the SWAT team charging in: "It's far. I'll call you after." But Liza was almost at Forestmeadows already, so she kept going. She got to the park about 7:15 p.m. People were playing tennis; kids were in the playground. There was no sign of her friend or police. She decided to drive north on Meridian, past the nursery, past Gardner Road — where bullet casings and Hoffman's black flip-flop were later found — all the way to Georgia. She drove with the radio off and windows down, but never saw a cop, never heard a siren. Neither Hoffman's boyfriend nor Liza was concerned when communication with their friend ended. Liza figured all went well and Hoffman was with her boyfriend. He thought she may have been arrested with Bradshaw and Green as part of the sting. "I wasn't worried," Liza said. "The outcome that happened never really crossed my mind." Hoffman's boyfriend messaged her at 9 p.m. but got no reply. He drove by her house around midnight and saw police cars near her apartment, but her car wasn't there. He tried to find out if she had been booked into jail, then fell asleep. The day after Police went to his parents' house around 2 a.m., looking for him. Two robbery detectives in dress shirts got to his place about a half-hour later. He did not let them inside but told them Hoffman wasn't there. At about 3 a.m. police in bulletproof vests knocked on the door of another friend's house where Liza was spending the night. She, too, told them she thought Hoffman was with police. Even then Liza didn't panic. Maybe her friend had just been robbed and dropped off somewhere. Maybe she was hiding out in the woods. "She's really, really strong. I've never seen her cry," Liza said. "If she had a chance (to get away), she would have taken it." When Hoffman's boyfriend woke up around 9 a.m., he checked Tallahassee.com and saw the alert that she was missing. Liza went to Hoffman's apartment in the morning and the maintenance man let her in to feed her cat Bentley. She saw blue vinyl gloves in the trash; the couch cushions were turned over; Hoffman's bong was gone. It was clear to Liza the police had been there that morning. Her boyfriend, Liza and other friends gathered at Hoffman's apartment that afternoon. Her parents had arrived. They helped clean up the place, did some dishes, ate leftovers out of the refrigerator and talked about Hoffman in the present tense. "She was such a fantastic cook," Liza said, remembering Hoffman's gumbo and huge dinner parties where she would feed anyone who was hungry. "We were all trying to stay positive." The friends left around midnight and her father, mother and stepfather slept at their daughter's place. About 9 a.m. the next day Hoffman's mother called Liza, telling her to call everyone else and come back to the apartment. "I was the first one there," Liza said. "(Her mother) cried to me, 'She's dead!'" 'We want to know' Police say Hoffman violated protocols by not listening to them and following the men who are now charged with robbing her and led police to her body. But her friends say she was vulnerable, had no training and should never have been put in such a dangerous situation. "No one should have to bury their daughter for a half-pound of marijuana," Liza said. "We want to know what happened, but her parents have a right to know." Hoffman's boyfriend hopes he finds out what went so wrong after he received his last text from her: "I think everyone in Tallahassee has a right to know." __________________ Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John If you're not sure who you're voting for at this point in time, you can abandon all connection to the word "smart." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Taco John ...He asked who I am voting for. I told him, "well, that depends... ."
Posts: 6,433

08-27-2008, 03:35 PM	#145
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $-1391081	Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky, Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one, And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. And the people in the houses All went to the university, Where they were put in boxes And they came out all the same, And there's doctors and lawyers, And business executives, And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. __________________
Posts: 48,846

08-28-2008, 12:28 AM	#146
Jewish Rabbi What's up braj? Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Placencia, Belize Casino cash: $-1746750	A very sad loss for the Jewish community.
Posts: 16,945

08-28-2008, 06:10 AM	#148
KC Jones Genious Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Colorado Casino cash: $10012761	The only people who know what the Police said to Rachel Hoffman are the police and Rachel Hoffman. She's dead, and the first thing they did was call a press conference and attempt to cover their asses. Forgive me of being somewhat skeptical of their statement that they told her not to meet with the murderers, because I really doubt anyone would try to do a sting without police. I strongly suspect they just lost her. __________________ re-sign: to sign again resign: to withdraw from employment
Posts: 5,366

08-28-2008, 06:30 AM	#149
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $3918036	The war on drugs is the DUMBEST thing ever. It will NEVER be won. One guy goes down, and it opens the opportunity for MORE criminals to take his place. Drugs will ALWAYS be accessible, no matter what these so call law enforcers try to do about. It's a joke that puts money into the pockets of killers with badges.
Posts: 21,429

08-28-2008, 09:17 AM	#150
Lzen Banded Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Oz Casino cash: $-629308	That is a messed up story. Those morons should be removed from their positions and thrown in jail. __________________ Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.
Posts: 42,476