Cedar Rapids, IA – Dakota Van Patten was found guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday in the 2023 death of Melody Hoffman, bringing a key element of closure to a case that has gripped the Cedar Rapids community.
The verdict follows weeks of testimony detailing the planning and execution of Hoffman’s murder. Prosecutors argued Van Patten actively participated in the killing alongside McKinley louisma. ”Not a single piece of evidence in this case suggests the defendant was some kind of innocent bystander,” said prosecutor Maybanks during closing arguments. “We submit to you that assertion is a fiction.”
the defence maintained Van Patten was present but did not participate in the killing, arguing Louisma had a personal motivation and the nature of the crime didn’t necessitate a second person. “All [the state has] done is bring a mountain of evidence that shows McKinley Louisma killed Melody hoffman,” defense attorney Erin Carr told the jury. ”But that’s not for you guys to decide.”
However,the jury sided with the prosecution,seemingly swayed by evidence including Van Patten’s confession to a witness – despite a discrepancy in the timing – and photos of him wearing Hoffman’s glasses after her death. Maybanks emphasized the confession and testimony from a third man involved in purchasing tools used in the murder. “When Dakota Van Patten is pictured here and the other 200 or so pictures,when he was wearing Melody Hoffman’s glasses after he brutally kidnapped and slayed her with McKinley Louisma,he might have worn them,but he’s never going to see things the way she saw them that night,” Maybanks stated. “She saw the boy that she liked and a new friend. They saw a young, vulnerable woman who was the target of their conspiracy and their twisted and sordid plan.”
A third man, Logan Kimpton, is charged with conspiracy to commit a forcible felony for his role in purchasing gloves and machetes at a Cedar Rapids Walmart with Van Patten and Louisma. These items were presented as evidence during the trial.
Van Patten’s sentencing is scheduled for November 14.