Anchorage, Alaska – A 23-year-old woman has been sentenced to 99 years in prison for her involvement in the murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of a developmentally disabled woman. Denali Dakota Skye Brehmer orchestrated the murder, hoping to collect on a $US9 million offer from a man posing as a millionaire. The victim, Cynthia Hoffman, was killed near Thunderbird Falls, just north of Anchorage, in 2019.
Brehmer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February 2023, and was sentenced by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson. The judge condemned the pre-meditated murder-for-hire as “tragic and senseless,” emphasizing Brehmer’s lack of remorse. He expressed hope that her sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.
The murder plot was initiated by Darin Schilmiller of New Salisbury, Indiana, who posed as a millionaire named “Tyler” online and developed a relationship with Brehmer. About three weeks prior to Hoffman’s murder, Brehmer and Schilmiller discussed a plan to rape and murder someone in Alaska. The only demand from “Tyler” was photos or video of the killing.
Brehmer accepted the offer and enlisted the help of four friends, including two unnamed juveniles. The group bound Hoffman with duct tape, shot her in the back of the head, and threw her body into the Eklutna River. Brehmer then deceitfully informed Hoffman’s family that they dropped her off at an Anchorage park.
Schilmiller was also sentenced to 99 years in prison for his involvement in Hoffman’s murder. Two of Brehmer’s accomplices have yet to be sentenced, while another, Kayden McIntosh, will be tried as an adult despite being a minor at the time of the crime.
The court documents revealed that Schilmiller chose Hoffman as the victim and instructed Brehmer to carry out the killing, while communicating with her throughout the process.