The Murder of Rachel Hoffman

Rachel Morningstar Hoffman is a controversial victim. Forever 23 years old, the vivacious redhead has been labelled as both a tragic victim of an incompetent drug sting and a common criminal who should have known what she was getting into. 

Born in Clearwater, Florida, Rachel Hoffman was no ordinary child; she had already tried her hand at ballet, horseback riding, and even a Weeki Wachee Springs Little Mermaid contest by the tender age of 12. By 18, she had added flautist, pianist, skydiver, and Grand Canyon hiker to her impressive list of achievements.

On February 27, 2007, Rachel was on the brink of graduation from Florida State University when a speeding stop forever changed her life. The traffic stop revealed an ounce of marijuana in her car. She was obliged to enter a drug misuse rehabilitation program with periodic drug testing.

A year later, Rachel missed a required drug test in late March 2008 due to attending a funeral outside Tallahassee. As a result of failing to appear for her drug test, she spent a weekend in jail in early April 2008. 

Less than two weeks after her stint in jail, police were called to Rachel's flat due to a marijuana smell complaint and suspicions that she was dealing. When law enforcement asked Rachel if she had any prohibited substances inside her home, she confessed that she did and allowed the officers to search her home. Once inside, the officers found her stash, which included five ounces of marijuana and Ecstasy and Valium pills, beneath the cushions of her couch. 

Rachel Hoffman was startled to discover that she faced multiple felony counts, including serious drug charges. However, Officer Ryan Pender informed her of a potential reprieve. If she cooperated with the city's drug unit and provided "substantial assistance," there could be hope for reduced or dropped allegations against her. She saw an opportunity in this challenging situation but had no way of knowing how it would turn out.

Rachel's first several assignments as a confidential informant were smooth sailing. With undercover police nearby for backup, Rachel bought drugs from dealers, and they were quickly apprehended. 

"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," her boyfriend Ben Reeves said. "She was supposed to do the bust and get off scot-free of her charges."

However, her last assignment took a dangerous twist that Rachel never saw coming. On May 7, 2008, Rachel reported to the Tallahassee Police Department to meet with Officer Ryan Pender and learn more about her role as an informant later that evening.

During the meeting with law enforcement, Rachel was wired, given $13,000 in cash, and instructed to buy a gun, 1.5 ounces of cocaine, and 1,500 Ecstasy tablets from notorious drug dealers Deneilo R. Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Jabbar Green, 25.

Three Drug Enforcement Administration agents and 15 police officers, including the officer in charge, Ryan Pender, were assigned to the case. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, it was the "biggest buy-bust in department memory." 

The sting was scheduled for May 7, 2008, at 7 p.m. 

From the offset, the sting did not go as planned. The initial meeting place had already been changed twice earlier that day, and by 6:40 p.m., Rachel was driving to Forestmeadow Park, where she was to meet two men in the parking lot to make the purchase.

However, Rachel never made it to the parking lot. On the way to Forestmeadow Park, Rachel spoke to one of the dealers on the phone, and the location was changed twice more, first to a plant nursery and finally to Gardner Road, a dead-end street.  

When Rachel contacted Officer Ryan Pender to report that the two guys had picked a new location, she was warned that following them was unsafe. But Rachel either did not hear or heed his warning. To this day, Pender is unsure if Rachel hung up on him or if the connection had been severed. 

Either way, by the end of the hour, the cops could not locate Rachel or her car. 

After leaving Gardner Road, her last known location, the cops drove to her boyfriend's townhouse late that night and knocked on the door, asking if Rachel was there. They were concerned that she might have disappeared with the funds, but Ben also had no idea where she was.

Rachel Hoffman's body would be discovered two days after she went missing in a gully filled with tangled vines in Perry, Florida, a small town about 50 miles southeast of Tallahassee. Rachel had been shot five times in the chest and head with the gun the police had sent her to purchase.

It would later be revealed that the drug dealers she dealt with had planned to rob her and sell her aspirin, but when they found a wire in her handbag, they realized she was working with the police and killed her.

The tragic murder of Rachel Hoffman sent shockwaves through the community and put a spotlight on the dangers of police work. Rachel was young, inexperienced, and woefully underprepared for the role she was thrust into.

The Tallahassee Police Department immediately came under scrutiny for its handling of the operation. It was revealed that the Department of Justice had issued guidelines in 2005 on using confidential informants, stressing the importance of safety and protection. However, the Tallahassee Police Department failed to follow these guidelines, risking Rachel's life.

Before Rachel's murder, neither Florida nor the rest of the United States had standardized regulations regarding using confidential informants. There was little oversight regarding the employment of informants or the consideration of factors like age, socioeconomic position, mental health, or substance misuse. In light of this, Rachel's parents fought for change. 

By mid-2009, this change would arrive. The Florida State Senate passed "Rachel's Law," a state statute named after Rachel Hoffman. This legislation mandated special training for officers who recruit confidential informants by warning informants that their sentences will not be reduced in exchange for cooperation and allowing informants to request legal counsel.