The Betrayal and Murder of Melody Hoffman

Melody Hoffman was born in 2004 in Marion, Iowa. At 20 years old, she was a young woman full of hope but also deeply vulnerable due to an intellectual disability that left her functioning at the level of a 14-year-old. She lived with her mother and had very few close relationships outside of her home. When she met 23-year-old McKinley Louisma in 2023, it was the first time she had ever experienced romance.

For Melody, Louisma was more than just a boyfriend. He was her connection to the outside world, a person she trusted wholeheartedly. However, in January 2024, Louisma abruptly ended their relationship to reconcile with his long-term girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child.

The breakup devastated Melody. However, despite their breakup, Louisma remained in contact with Melody. What she didn’t know was that he had sinister plans.

In the weeks leading up to February 17, 2024, Louisma spoke with two of his acquaintances, 19-year-old Dakota Van Patten and 23-year-old Logan Kimpton, about an attack on Melody. He suspected Melody was pregnant and feared she might reveal the affair and jeopardize his renewed relationship with his long-term girlfriend.

Investigators later found text messages and digital evidence suggesting the men had coordinated a plan to lure her away from home.

On February 17, at 11:42 p.m., surveillance cameras captured Melody willingly getting into a car with Louisma and Van Patten. She believed she was going to spend time with people she trusted. She had no idea that just hours earlier, the two men had gone to a Walmart in Cedar Rapids to purchase machetes and rubber gloves, duct tape, and paracord

The Night of the Attack

The drive from Marion led them to Morgan Creek Park, a secluded area just west of Cedar Rapids. It was here that the nightmare began. Melody was violently attacked with the handle of a machete, beaten, and bound with duct tape. She was terrified, but the assault was far from over. After inflicting brutal injuries, Louisma and Van Patten drove her to Lily Pond in Amana, where Kimpton was waiting.

Melody was strangled with a paracord, stabbed multiple times, and left in the freezing waters of Lily Pond. Her killers attempted to stage the crime scene to make it look like a random attack. However, they made critical mistakes that would ultimately lead to their arrests.

Investigation

The investigation into Melody Hoffman's brutal murder quickly escalated into one of the most complex and emotionally charged cases in Iowa's recent history. But it was the combination of digital trails, forensic science, and careless mistakes by the perpetrators that led to their swift arrest and prosecution.

Authorities were first alerted to the crime when a witness discovered Melody's body face-down at Lily Pond Park in Amana, Iowa, around 9:30 a.m. on February 18. The young woman had been bound, stabbed, and strangled. The autopsy revealed disturbing details: at least 30 cutting wounds, five stab wounds to her back, and strangulation marks that indicated she had been killed from behind using a paracord. Evidence suggested she may have been pregnant or had suffered a miscarriage shortly before her death.

As detectives began to piece together her final hours, a chilling trail began to emerge.

Melody’s Life360 app and heart rate data became pivotal. GPS tracking showed a route from Cherry Hill Park to Morgan Creek Park—where she was allegedly tortured—then on to Lily Pond Park, where her body was dumped. The sudden spike and eventual flatline in her heart rate around midnight matched the estimated time of her death. Investigators concluded that she was killed between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. on February 18.

As investigators dug deeper, a surveillance footage of Melody getting into the car was recovered and Melody's ex-boyfriend was quickly picked as a person of interest.

One piece of evidence that stood out was a photo found on Louisma’s phone. It showed Melody with duct tape covering her mouth, timestamped at 4:05 a.m.

Another photo on co-defendant Dakota Van Patten’s phone showed him wearing Melody’s distinct clear-framed glasses—glasses later found during a search of his home.

But perhaps the most chilling digital clue was a Snapchat photo on Van Patten’s device that featured the number “5917” written in large text. That number matched Melody’s phone passcode, suggesting the killers had access to her phone during or after the attack.

Forensic evidence began closing in on the killers. Louisma’s DNA was found on several key items including the duct tape, and the green paracord used to strangle her. A pair of Ozark Trail gloves found in Louisma’s vehicle carried her DNA on the outside and a mix of DNA on the inside—one of which matched Van Patten.

A spool of paracord found in Van Patten’s home was identical in color and texture to the bloody cord retrieved from the trunk of Louisma’s car.

In an eerie twist, Louisma’s phone health app recorded steps from the parking lot at Lily Pond Park to the exact shoreline where Melody’s body was found. His steps mirrored the police retracing of the crime scene, reinforcing his physical presence at the location.

Justice for Melody

Louisma faced the most serious charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony.

His trial began in November 2024, and it didn’t take long for the jury to reach a verdict. After less than two hours of deliberation, he was found guilty on all charges. On December 6, 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Van Patten, who also participated in the attack, is set to stand trial in September 2025 for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy. If convicted, he too will face a life sentence.

Kimpton, whose role in the crime was still under investigation, was charged with willful injury and conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony. His trial was originally scheduled for early 2025 but was postponed until April. His level of involvement and potential sentence remain uncertain.