A Florida woman who killed a man in a case of mistaken identity will spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Willard Pope handed Jennifer Hill, 44, a life term in prison for the shooting death of Michael Tron Hofacker, 39. A jury found Hill guilty of second-degree murder.
“Today’s sentence is a reminder of the irreversible consequences of mistaken identity. Hill’s life sentence reflects the impartiality of the law in a case where an individual’s life was cut short due to the carelessness of another,” said State Attorney William “Bill” Gladson, according to WCJB.
During the evening of Nov. 28, 2020, officers responded to the 3200 Block of S. Highway 314A, nearby south of Highway 40 and 9 miles east of Highway 35. Upon arrival, they found the victim’s body with a gunshot wound to the head.
Initially, Hill told investigators she had felt threatened by Hofacker, whom she thought had a gun, before shooting him in the head. However, the defendant’s friend, who was a witness to the incident, told investigators that Hill had mistaken Hofacker for another man named Michael, whom she believed had robbed her home a few days earlier. In addition, the witness told authorities Hofacker was not armed and did not pose a threat to Hill at the time of the fatal incident.
The defendant was arrested the next day.
“This incident underscores why people should not take matters into their own hands and trust law enforcement,” said Gladson, reported Click Orlando.com.
Leave a Reply