The Death of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman and the Formation of the Rachel's Law.

Rachel Morningstar Hoffman was a 23-year-old college graduate who was murdered by drug dealers while acting as a police informant in a botched drug sting by the Tallahassee Police Department in 2008. Her death sparked public outrage and led to the implementation of "Rachel's Law", which imposed stricter requirements for law enforcement agencies for undercover informants.

Background

Rachel Hoffman was born in Clearwater, Florida and attended Countryside High School. She graduated from Florida State University and was planning to attend a culinary school in Arizona. She was a regular attendee at music festivals and a bright light on the festival scene. She was also a cannabis user and had been arrested twice for possession of cannabis and ecstasy. She faced a possible prison sentence if charged and convicted on criminal charges related to the discovered drugs.

Sting operation and death

Police pressured Hoffman to act as a confidential informant in a drug sting operation in exchange for not being charged with additional drug charges. The purported goal of the operation was to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 oz. of cocaine, and two handguns, using $13,000 cash in a buy–bust operation. This was contrary to department policy, as Hoffman had no experience or training in undercover work, and the amount and type of drugs and weapons were beyond her usual involvement.

Hoffman met with two suspects, Deneilo Bradshaw and Andrea Green, at a specific location and was monitored by two narcotics officers who were providing security for the buy. However, the suspects changed the location of the buy and Hoffman followed them without receiving instructions from the police. Her police handlers lost track of her when she left the buy spot with the two suspects in their stolen silver BMW. While in transit, the two suspects allegedly executed her on dead-end Gardner Road in Leon County with the gun she was supposed to buy. Her body was recovered two days later near Perry, Florida.

Murder investigation and sentencing

According to police documents, a witness described seeing the BMW stuck in a ditch in Taylor County, with Hoffman's Volvo idling nearby, about 30 minutes after the police lost track of Hoffman. The witness also saw Bradshaw and Green walking away from the scene with a duffel bag containing the money and drugs.

The police later found Hoffman's car with her purse and cell phone inside, but no sign of her or the suspects. The police then traced the BMW to Bradshaw's girlfriend, who identified him and Green as the occupants of the car. The police also found fingerprints and DNA evidence linking Bradshaw and Green to the car and the murder weapon.

Bradshaw and Green were arrested on May 9, 2008 and charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They both pleaded not guilty and went to trial separately. Bradshaw was convicted on all counts on October 6, 2009 and sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 15, 2009. Green was convicted on all counts on February 17, 2010 and sentenced to life in prison without parole on March 10, 2010. Both appealed their convictions and sentences, but their appeals were denied by the Florida Supreme Court in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Aftermath

Hoffman's death led to public outcry and media attention over the use and abuse of confidential informants by law enforcement agencies. Her parents, Irv Hoffman and Margie Weiss, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Tallahassee and several police officers involved in the sting operation, alleging negligence, civil rights violations, and emotional distress. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2012 for $2.6 million.

Hoffman's parents also campaigned for legislative reforms to protect confidential informants from exploitation and harm. They succeeded in passing "Rachel's Law" in Florida in 2009, which required law enforcement agencies to provide informants with a written document outlining their rights and risks, to assess their suitability for undercover work based on their criminal history and experience, to avoid using informants for crimes that are more serious than those they are accused of, to allow informants to consult with an attorney before agreeing to cooperate, and to report annually on their use of informants to the state government.

Hoffman's parents also established the Rachel Morningstar Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to educate the public about confidential informants, to advocate for policy changes at the national level, to provide support and resources for informants and their families, and to honor Rachel's memory and spirit.

The foundation organizes an annual music festival called the Purple Hatter's Ball at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, where Rachel used to attend events. The festival features national and local bands, art, yoga, workshops, and speakers, and raises funds for the foundation and its causes.

References:

(1) Murder of Rachel Hoffman - Wikipedia.

(2) How One Mother Turned Tragedy Into Triumph: The Rachel Morningstar .....

(3) Rachel Morningstar Foundation | Foundation Website.