Alaska Teen Kills Best Friend After Man Online Allegedly Offered Her $9M for Videos of Murder

In 2019, Denali Brehmer murdered her “best friend” after a man who was catfishing her offered her $9 million for photos and videos of the crime, NBC News claims.

According to People, Brehmer, 22, pleaded guilty on Feb. 15, 2023 to first degree murder for the death of Cynthia Hoffman. Hoffman, 19, was shot in the back of the head and her body was dumped in the Eklutna River, bound with duct tape.

Hoffman had gone to Thunderbird Falls in Chugiak, Alaska with Brehmer and another friend with the assumption that they were going hiking; Brehmer, then 18, and Kayden McIntosh, then 16, drove Hoffman to Thunderbird Falls where they duct taped her and took pictures before Brehmer shot her. Both McIntosh and Brehmer were charged with one count of murder and one count of tampering with evidence.

Hoffman had a developmental learning disability and functioned at a younger age than 19. Her family claims that she trusted these people and that all she wanted was friends.

During the investigation, authorities discovered that Brehmer committed the crime after she started an online relationship with a man she knew as “Tyler” and who claimed he was a millionaire from Kansas.

People claims that there were three other people who were accomplices to Hoffman’s death, two of which were minors.

Brehmer faces a sentence of 30-99 years in prison and will be sentenced on August 22.