Informer's death in Tallahassee brings speculation to Clearwater

Rachel Hoffman, a graduate of Clearwater's Countryside High School who was killed last week while posing as a drug buyer for the Tallahassee Police Department, will be buried Tuesday.

Hoffman's family said Sunday that a service will be held 11 a.m. at Temple Ahavat Shalom, 1575 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor. She'll then be laid to rest at nearby Curlew Hills cemetery, 1750 Curlew Road.

"I'm heartbroken," said her father, Irv Hoffman, 58. "We're just trying to make it through the next few days."

Details of how the 23-year-old with a degree in psychology from Florida State University agreed to become an undercover informer, only to be killed in a rural area near Tallahassee, remained elusive.

Tallahassee police have been reluctant to provide information, according to the Hoffman family and the young woman's attorney, Johnny Devine. A department spokesman declined comment Sunday.

Hoffman was in a drug diversion program stemming from a 2007 arrest for felony marijuana possession. Tallahassee police have said she was recently arrested again and faced charges of possession of ecstasy with intent to sell, maintaining a drug house and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Devine believes Hoffman, who was fearful of going to jail, was coerced into becoming an informer, then was recklessly sent into a dangerous situation without adequate police oversight.

Wednesday, she was supposed to buy 1,500 pills of ecstasy, 2 ounces of cocaine or crack cocaine and a gun from Andrea J. Green and Deneilo Bradshaw, who were arrested Thursday in Orlando in connection with Hoffman's death.

Police have said Hoffman didn't follow protocols and left officer supervision to go with the men.

Today, Tallahassee police were to release more details on the new charges Hoffman faced. They've kept mum about the manner of her death.

But Devine said he knows his client was shot, and he wonders whether it was with the same gun police sent her to buy.

"They knew they would be armed," Devine said. "It is inexcusable that police, knowing what they did, would send her into that situation."

Will Van Sant can be reached at vansant@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4166. Information from the Tallahassee Democrat was used in this report.

Comments on this article

by ewwl d huli gees	May 14, 2008 1:40 PM
I went to school with racheal she was a stand up type of girl somethings not rite! They scarred her up to do this or summin.nothin about racheal said informant! R.I.P

by ....	May 14, 2008 1:35 PM
Why is everyone acting like this girl was so innocent?She was caught on MULTIPLE occasions w/drugs!She was known 4 moving drugs in tallahassee, dont place all the blame on the cops.The situation shouldnt have happened,however,dont be so quick 2 judge

by Mrs. G	May 14, 2008 1:34 PM
I am sorry for the families loss. Rachel may not have even been in this situation if our State would just legalize marijuana. Our system is so foolish we fill our jails and prisons with petty pot charges and let the child predators walk the streets.

by ewwl d huli gees	May 14, 2008 1:34 PM
I went to school with racheal she was a stand up type of girl somethings not rite! They scarred her up to do this or summin.nothin about racheal said informant! R.I.P

by Sherry	May 14, 2008 11:41 AM
It's so hard to believe that anyone could possibly blame Rachel in this horrible trajedy. TPD coerced her into a deal, a deal they could not legally make, and now she's dead. No matter WHAT she did in life, she did NOT deserve to die.

by Mrs. B	May 13, 2008 6:48 PM
Please hold police accountable for their actions.It was inexcusable to expect this young women to do their jobs and find the real problematic people.I am sure her charges were embellished to make her think this was her only choice and bring in money

by wewantjustice	May 13, 2008 5:35 PM
Let this be the last time someone dies for the war on drugs Florida-let us stand up to injustice and atleast decriminalize marijuana in our state. Rachel would have never been in this situation. Marijuana doesn't kill;poor drug policy does

by Rickster	May 13, 2008 5:31 PM
If she had a lawyer, it NEVER would have been permitted. They scared her into this, preying on her fear of punishment, to do THEIR jobs. They need to be sued, hard. I used to live in Leon County, nothing's changed.

by friend	May 13, 2008 2:45 PM
I am upset with all the negative comments. A life was taken away prematurely, not matter what way you look at it!. No parent should ever have to bury their child. You will be deeply missed Rachel. God Bless and RIP

by Laurie	May 13, 2008 2:42 PM
HOW DARE you people who think this girl deserved to DIE for her prior crimes. The police and the murderers are at fault here! Have mercy on your souls for these hateful comments.

by osicks	May 13, 2008 2:01 PM
She made her own choices. She was no angel. She was arrested once for drugs, and then arrested again for dealing. No one would be blaming the police if she was black, latino, or asian and in the same circumstances.

by Patrick	May 13, 2008 1:03 PM
The cops sent her on a suicide mission. Oh well.

by Frank	May 13, 2008 11:40 AM
This is NOT Police Department's fault. She could have just gone to jail, but she wanted to try and be a CI instead. Did you read her charges in 2007 on her own? Is that police's fault too? Relax.

by CeDee	May 13, 2008 11:18 AM
The police department need to be ashamed of themselves!!Who are the ignorant and rude people saying that she deserves this because she used drugs??You wouldn't feel that way if if were your child!Like Rickerster said, that was THEIR (police) job!

by Clifford	May 13, 2008 11:16 AM
This wasn't due to the Police, the 23 year old was a white drug user, no different than a black drug dealer. As a white person, I'm offended by other whites that think their children don't do drugs and shouldn't be held responsible for their acts.

by jan	May 13, 2008 11:15 AM
I took one look at this girl's picture and knew that no one would believe she wanted to buy a gun. The murderers, more streetwise, must have known this was a sting. What were these cops thinking? Do they not have daughters? Bad cops. Very bad.

by Feeling Bad	May 13, 2008 10:48 AM
Two arrest on drug charges, she already was a drug buyer only this time she was doing it to combat the blight for a change. White , pretty, privileged, parent with a lawyer and all of the sudden police working their way up the drug chain is bad?

by whatweretheythinking?	May 13, 2008 10:48 AM
who puts a 23 year old on the streets? dont people know drug dealers are known to kill people. this is the polices fault in every way shape and form. i go to cside and this is very hard even on people who dont know her. once again, police screwed us.

by Becki	May 13, 2008 9:59 AM
My condolences go out to the family. I went to school with Rachel at CHS and would of never of thought to see someone you use to walk the halls with everyday dead on TV due to POLICE error. Informants are used for information they are not TRAINED!

by wazzamattaU	May 13, 2008 9:46 AM
More proof the law is much more dangerous than the marijuana it is trying to protect us from.

by Nick	May 13, 2008 9:45 AM
Also, what does studying under Obama's preacher have to do with anything? Tom...your ignorance is far worse for decent society than a college student experimenting with drugs.

by Nick	May 13, 2008 9:45 AM
Amazing...who are you people to judge? So, what you are saying (Celeste, Tom, and hmmmm) is that somehow she got what was coming to her because she used drugs?!?!? Do you go to church on Sunday and call yourself a Christian?

by Sara	May 13, 2008 9:35 AM
I'm appalled 2 read such as insensitive of a comment as urs Celeste!U should be ashamed of urself 2 suggest that this young woman deserved 2 have an end 2 life because of mistakes that yes should have been accounted 4 but not such dispair 4 hr family

by Betty	May 12, 2008 8:41 PM
Only a professional undercover cop should be sent into such a situation as a drug buy and sting. This young woman was over her head. And had no professional training to know how to handle the situation. The police dept should be sued.

by sj	May 12, 2008 8:40 PM
Irv Hoffman don't let the police or State fool you. They will do anything to cover their tracks.I lost my daughter to a 6 time felon that they let bail out for $300.00 Two days later murders my daughter..They still won't tell the truth to this day.

by ken	May 12, 2008 8:39 PM
no one sent her anywhere, she did on her own and to get out of going to jail to be a snitch..now they want to cry about it. she made the decision to do it. i guess her parents should have told her to go to prison. now put the blame elsewhere.

by Jean-Luc	May 12, 2008 7:45 PM
Several comments illustrate how some Americans are brainwashed into believing altering human consciousness is a crime. Man has always sought ways to do this and always will. Legislating the means is futile. Repubs long ago lost this "war on drugs."

by Elizabeth	May 12, 2008 7:45 PM
She was a beautiful young lady who earned her degree and had loving educated parents that were devoted to her . God Bless this family.My heart is very heavy with this loss. Everybody makes mistakes and gets second chances-she did not.

by Concerned Citizen	May 12, 2008 7:44 PM
Please release the names of the officers involved with this young woman's death for my own personal research. Thanks. :-)

by Josh	May 12, 2008 7:44 PM
100% Cops fault. Please sue them for MILLIONS & fire every cop involved with the case and charge them with inv. manslaughter. Ruin their lives. It's a shame that police are such cowards these days.

by Rickster	May 12, 2008 7:42 PM
Re:Dora You already have legal drugs that are much worse for you, tobacco and alcohol. Legalizing pot would take the power away from the dealers and put much needed $ in the gov't coffers. People are doing it either way, don't kid yourself.

by Rickster	May 12, 2008 7:42 PM
Had she had a lawyer, the PD would never have been able to manipulate her into doing 'their' jobs. Just disgraceful to Tallahassee PD.

by Milo	May 12, 2008 7:40 PM
It is common for people facing serious charges to be approached as informants or be part of undercover in a deal for reduced or dropped charges. For her to take the deal, the charges she was facing must have been substantial with big jail time.

by Dave	May 12, 2008 5:53 PM
"I'm horrified people actually want drugs legalized. Obviously you don't see what it does to people." Yes, I do. It makes them end up dead or in jail from overzealous police officers and evil Americans who refuse to let people live and let live.

by BillHicksFan	May 12, 2008 5:40 PM
Another sensless death in this country's dispicable "war on drugs". It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on people and personal freedoms. Do not ever forget that.