Rachel Hoffman

On May 7, 2008, 23-year-old Rachel Morningstar Hoffman (December 17, 1984 – May 7, 2008), was murdered by two drug dealers⁠23-year-old Deneilo Bradshaw and 25-year-old Andrea after being pressured to act as a police informant in a botched drug sting by the Tallahassee Police Department. Her body was recovered two days later near Perry, Florida. Hoffman's death led to the implementation of "Rachel's Law", which imposed stricter requirements for law enforcement agencies for undercover informants operating in Florida.

Background Rachel Hoffman was born in Clearwater, Florida and attended Countryside High School. At the time of her death, she had graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree and was planning to attend a culinary school in Arizona.

Sting operation and death Hoffman was under drug court supervision for possession of 25 g (0.9 oz.) of cannabis discovered during a traffic stop on February 22, 2007. On April 17, 2008, the Tallahassee Police Department searched her apartment and uncovered another 151.7 g (5.328 oz.) of cannabis, with the gun she was supposed to buy.

Murder investigation and sentencing

According to police documents, a witness described seeing the BMW stuck in a ditch in Taylor County, with a 2005 Volvo belonging to Hoffman idling nearby, between 7:00p.m. and 7:30p.m., about 30minutes after the police lost track of Hoffman. The witness claimed that the BMW drove off when he stopped to help the driver try to get the car out of the ditch, but the vehicle later returned as the witness was leaving. The witness claimed he became suspicious and decided to leave when the driver of the Volvo opened the trunk and revealed a camouflage blanket and neat stacks of female clothing.

Deneilo R. Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Jabbar Green, 25, who were fired from their jobs at a window tint and car detailing shop just days before the incident, were charged with armed robbery in connection with the events leading up to Hoffman's death.

The Tallahassee Police Department admitted that Hoffman had no training to work undercover, she did not know the two men targeted in the sting, and she had no experience with cocaine or firearms and very little with MDMA. Details of the murder itself were not released at the time.

Hoffman's story garnered many news headlines including a page on the Tallahassee Democrat website dedicated to information surrounding her death. 20/20 covered the story on July 25, 2008, and Dateline NBC covered it on January 16, 2009.

On December 17, 2009, which would have been Hoffman's 25th birthday, Bradshaw, one of the murder suspects, was found guilty of first-degree murder with robbery and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole plus 30 years (concurrent). On November 11, 2010, Green pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and robbery with a firearm and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Rachel's Law On May 7, 2009, a law (dubbed "Rachel's Law") was passed by the Florida State Senate, which brought into effect on July 1, 2009 a number of requirements for law enforcement agencies in Florida regarding the use of police informants. While Rachel's Law became statewide policy for all police departments, at least one major city department began taking steps towards training on the new policies at least three months sooner than required.

"Rachel's Law" requires law enforcement agencies to provide special training for officers who recruit confidential informants, instruct informants that reduced sentences may not be provided in exchange for their work, and permit informants to request a lawyer if they want one.