Man to be sentenced in murder-for-hire of 19-year-old girl

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Court TV) — A sentencing hearing is underway for a man who admitted to his role in the brutal murder of a 19-year-old girl in Alaska.

Caleb Leyland, 19, appears in a Superior courtroom for his arraignment in the Nesbett Courthouse on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Caleb Allen Russell Leyland pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder for killing Cynthia Hoffman in June 2019, Alaska’s Department of Law announced last year .

Hoffman was reported missing after joining friends, later identified as Kayden McIntosh and Denali Brehmer, on the Thunderbird trail on June 2, 2019. Her body was found on June 4. Police said she had been shot in the head and her body moved into the Eklutna River.

Police said that Hoffman’s murder was part of a murder-for-hire plot masterminded by Darin Schilmiller, who offered to pay Brehmer $9 million or more to kill the victim and send him photos and/or videos. Investigators said that Brehmer, in turn, recruited McIntosh, Leyland and two other, unidentified, people to assist in the planning and execution of the murder in exchange for money. Leyland’s role was to provide the vehicle for Brehmer and McIntosh to use on the day of the murder.

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Forensic psychologist Dr. Kaichen McCray testified on Thursday that she found no evidence of severe mental illness when she examined Leyland, but noted that he had a drinking problem before his arrest. McCray said she found a “low to moderate” risk that Leyland would reoffend if released.

Schilmiller, Brehmer, McIntosh and Leyland all pleaded guilty. Schilmiller was sentenced to 99 years in January, with Judge Andrew Peterson describing Schilmiller as a “worst offender” who had committed the murder “for the mere thrill of it.” Schilmiller will not be eligible for discretionary parole until he has served at least 45 years of his sentence.

In Feb., Brehmer was similarly sentenced to 99 years , with Judge Peterson saying that her conduct was “cold, calculated, and carried out to a ‘T’.” The judge described watching a video of Hoffman’s last moments, where she could be seen duct-taped on the ground, saying it was “one of the most difficult pieces of evidence I’ve had to watch in this position.”

McIntosh’s sentencing is scheduled to begin on Nov. 14, 2024.

Leyland’s sentencing began on Thursday and will continue on Friday morning. Under the terms of Leyland’s plea agreement, he faces a maximum term of 75 years with 25 years suspended.