Florida Woman Murdered in Undercover Drug Sting

by CJaye | July 25, 2008 at 07:41 am | 201 views | add comment

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A Florida woman arrested for possession of marijuana and ecstasy was pressed into service as a drug informant, then murdered during a sting operation where she was told to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, cocaine, and a gun from a pair of drug dealers.
ABC News reported May 13 that the body of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, 23, was found two days after she disappeared following a meeting with the drug dealers. Hoffman had agreed to take part in the staked-out drug buy in return for leniency in her drug case, where she faced possible prison time for possession of 200 grams of marijuana and a handful of ecstasy pills.

The dealers changed the location of the meeting at the last minute, and Hoffman went along with them despite a warning from investigators. "Safety is paramount," said Tallahassee Police spokesperson David McCranie. "The investigator said 'Don't do it.' We call these things off all the time. But Rachel went ahead and met [the dealers] and that ultimately lead to her murder."

The Tallahassee police have been sharply criticized for placing the recent Florida State University graduate in danger and failing to inform her attorney about the leniency deal.

"They're asking her to do something that would put her in a life-or-death situation," said lawyer Johnnie Devine. "I have never had any time where the police department has not called me to tell me this is what's happening ... She had never worked as an undercover agent. She had no experience or training in this matter."

The Florida Attorney General's office plans to conduct an independent investigation into the case.

The Police knew what they were doing when they sent this young girl down that dirt road. They should'nt have let her go. The sting should of been make more in a public place where they could watch her. This is done all this time with SID (Special Investigative Division) even though she had a wire on it doesn't help her when she's so far away, if something happened they can't get to her in time. That's what happened to her. They hadn't heard from her so they left and find her 2 days later. 50 miles away and her in the car dead. This kinda of reminds me of Natasha Hall's case when Officer McNeal from the Deland police Department told her to "stop calling or I will arrest you." Her ex-boyfriend was beating her and stalking her. After nine calls to the Florida police officer McNeal told Natasha "stop calling the police or I'll put you in jail." The next phone call to the police was when her ex-boyfriend had shot and killed her and his self. I know it's not the same but the point I'm trying to make is what is wrong with the Florida Police Department? Jessica Lunsfords case I could go on & on the cases they have totally messed up. They considered this girl a drugy because she was caught with two small bags of pot in the last year while she was in college.