Matthew Hoffman is an American convicted murderer who killed three people, kidnapped and raped a 13-year-old girl in Howard, Ohio.
The triple murders took place in 2010, and Hoffman was convicted of aggravated murder (x3) and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Hoffman was dubbed “The Leaf Killer” because he kept the teen captive on a bed of leaves and hid the remains of the three victims in a hollow tree in a wildlife area.
While incarcerated, Hoffman wrote a ten-page confession letter where he admitted to the murders and abduction, as well as revealing the location of the three bodies.
He claimed that the murders were a burglary gone wrong, but investigators found evidence that he had surveilled the victims’ house days before the murder to know their comings and goings.
Hoffman is currently incarcerated at Toledo Correctional Institution in Ohio.
Matthew Hoffman murders and kidnapping
Hoffman is an American convicted murderer known for committing three murders and kidnapping and raping a young girl named Sarah Maynard.
The Murders
On November 10, 2010, Hoffman broke into the home of the Hermann family in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
He had been camping in the woods the night before and was about to burglarize the house when Sarah Hermann and her friend Stephanie Sprang unexpectedly entered the residence.
Hoffman attacked them immediately; he stabbed Kody Hermann, an 11-year-old boy, in the back of the head, killing him instantly.
He then stabbed Kody multiple times after he was already dead. Hoffman chased Sarah, a 13-year-old girl, up to her room and tied her up with a cord from a fan.
The Kidnapping
Hoffman kidnapped Sarah and kept her captive in a crawlspace for approximately three days. The room was covered in leaves, dark, cold and wet.
During this time, he repeatedly raped Sarah.
Discovery and confession
Sarah was eventually found alive in Hoffman’s basement by law enforcement officials.
Hoffman was arrested and charged with kidnapping.
While in custody, he initially refused to speak, but a deal was struck to take the death penalty off the table if he revealed the location of the bodies.
Hoffman confessed to the murders and revealed that he had dismembered the three victims, bagged their body parts, and hid them in a hollow tree in a wildlife area.
The authorities were able to recover the remains.
Hoffman was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for his crimes.
His case gained attention due to the bizarre details, such as his obsession with leaves and the discovery of his home filled with leaves.
The bravery and strength shown by Sarah in surviving the ordeal have been widely recognized even in the present day.
Matthew Hoffman confession
According to Hoffman’s confession, he broke into the home of Tina Herrmann on November 10, 2010, after camping in the woods the night before.
Herrmann and two others, Kody Maynard and Stephanie Sprang, entered the residence and surprised Hoffman.
Hoffman killed all three of them.
Hoffman kidnapped Sarah, who was Herrmann’s 13-year-old daughter, and held her captive in his home.
While incarcerated, Hoffman wrote a ten-page confession letter where he admitted to the murders and abduction, as well as revealing the location of the three bodies.
He claimed that the murders were a burglary gone wrong, adding that he had surveilled Herrmann’s house days before the murder to know her comings and goings.
Hoffman slipped inside and was robbing her when she came home, so he killed her, then Stephanie, who had arrived to help her friend move and then Kody.
Hoffman’s claim that he treated Sarah nicely and let her play video games, watch movies, and eat hamburgers was contested by Sarah, with evidence of sexual assault.
In his incarceration, Hoffman also revealed the location of his victims’ bodies to police handling the triple murder.
Matthew Hoffman trial and sentencing
Hoffman stood trial for his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including three counts of aggravated murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
