ANCHORAGE, AK – The last chapter closed on a chilling murder-for-hire case Friday as an Anchorage man received a decades-long prison sentence for his role in the killing of a local teenager, a crime that stunned the Alaska community in 2019.
Kayden McIntosh, now 22, was sentenced to 85 years in prison—with 15 years suspended—after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Cynthia Hoffman, 19. The sentencing marks the conclusion of court proceedings for the six people involved in the slaying, all of whom were ensnared in a plot hatched online by a stranger nearly 4,000 miles away.
Authorities said McIntosh participated in planning the crime, lured by the promise of riches from a man he’d never met in person. Hoffman was brought to a scenic waterfall north of Anchorage, where she was bound and shot before her body was left adrift in a river.
The mastermind behind the plot was identified as Darin Schilmiller, an Indiana man who fabricated a persona named “Tyler,” claiming to be wealthy and offering substantial payouts for evidence of murder. He solicited a group of Alaskan teens—including Denali Brehmer, who presented herself as Hoffman’s friend—promising millions in exchange for Hoffman’s death.
An investigation revealed the grim reality: Schilmiller was not a rich benefactor but an unemployed 27-year-old living in his grandparents’ basement. Prosecutors said Schilmiller’s manipulation extended beyond murder, as he convinced Brehmer to send explicit images as part of the elaborate and disturbing ruse.
Schilmiller and Brehmer were both handed lengthy prison terms. Schilmiller received a 99-year sentence for solicitation to commit murder and for conspiracy to produce child pornography, with the possibility of parole after 45 years. Brehmer, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, was sentenced earlier this year to 99 years in prison without the chance for suspension.
The case also involved Caleb Leyland, now 26, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to second-degree murder. Leyland was accused of providing transportation for the group and was sentenced to 40 years behind bars, with 10 years suspended. Two other participants, minors at the time of the killing, had their cases handled in juvenile court.
Prosecutors detailed how the group, motivated by the prospect of cash rewards, lured Hoffman to Thunderbird Falls on June 2, 2019, under false pretenses. Once there, Brehmer restrained Hoffman, documenting the crime as instructed by Schilmiller.
During McIntosh’s arrest and subsequent interviews, he confessed to his involvement and described the events leading up to the fatal shooting. According to court documents, Hoffman was bound, began to panic, and threatened to call authorities, prompting McIntosh to shoot her.
The outcome left Hoffman’s family searching for closure. Earlier this month, tragedy struck again when Hoffman’s father died in a motorcycle accident—exactly five years after his daughter’s murder. Family members described ongoing grief stemming from both losses.
At sentencing, McIntosh expressed remorse, apologizing to the Hoffman family. His attorneys argued for a lighter sentence, saying he was young and impressionable at the time of the crime. But the judge emphasized the calculated nature of the killing and McIntosh’s active role, noting that his actions were not impulsive.
The sentences delivered in the case varied, but prosecutors asserted that all involved shared responsibility for the victim’s death. The outcome serves as a somber reminder of the real-world danger posed by online manipulation and what can happen when fantasy collides with reality.