Testimony: Murder suspect kept photo of Marion victim with duct tape over her mouth

CEDAR RAPIDS – A Hiawatha man accused of torturing and killing 20-year-old Melody Hoffman in February had a photo in his cell phone showing her face with duct tape over her mouth, a bloody nose and apparently crying, testified a police investigator Thursday.

Marion Sgt. Thomas Peterson, continues his testimony from Wednesdaysaid a piece of duct tape with hair strands was found in the trunk of 23-year-old McKinley Louisma, who is on trial this week in Linn County District Court. In the photo shown to the jury, strands of hair also appeared to be stuck to the duct tape.

Peterson said Louisma viewed this photo about 4:05 a.m. on Feb. 18. In previous testimony, investigators said Hoffman died around midnight on Feb. 17, based on information from a locator app and evidence of health data from her phone, and likely in Morgan Creek Park. west of Cedar Rapids.

Louisma is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime. His accused co-conspirator, Dakota Van Patten, 18, of Cedar Rapids, is also charged with the kidnapping and murder of Hoffman, who lived in Marion. According to court documents, she died of strangulation.

Peterson testified that an analysis of Louisma’s phone showed his Internet search history, including several items available online at Walmart, such as face coverings, ski masks and rubber gloves, after 9:30 p.m. and before 10 p.m. February 17. Morgan Creek Park and Lily The pond in Amana, where Hoffman’s body was found, was also searched in the phone’s maps app.

According to previous testimony, Hoffman left her home with Louisma and Van Patten that evening after 11 p.m.

The Wi-Fi connection Louisma used on February 17 and 18 came from Van Patten’s hotspot on his phone, Peterson testified.

Louisma’s phone history also showed a selfie of Van Patten taken at 8:01 p.m. on Feb. 18, wearing Hoffman’s glasses, with text added to the photo that read, “Everyone in Cedar Rapids has a pair of nose piercings,” Peterson said.

There was also a photo on Louisma’s phone, taken from Snapchat, of another selfie of Van Patten, in which he was sitting shirtless on a bed, wearing Hoffman’s glasses and smoking a vape pen. That was recorded on February 18 at 9:59 PM.

Peterson said that on Feb. 17 at 11:59 p.m., a photo with “5917” typed over a blurred background, taken from Snapchat, was found on Van Patten’s phone. That was the passcode for Hoffman’s iPhone, he said.

A machete shown on Walmart’s sites was removed from Louisma’s phone around 9:45 a.m. on February 19.

According to testimony, Louisma, Van Patten and Logan Kimpton, also charged in connection with the murder, had purchased two machetes and coated rubber gloves at a Walmart on February 17.

In other testimony, Karlee Schneider, a criminal with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, testified about possible DNA found on the items found in Louisma’s car. None of the items identified Louisma’s DNA. Several individuals identified Hoffman as the major contributor to a DNA profile, and many of the items had two or three minor contributors – but the samples were insufficient to determine the profile.

Schneider identified numerous pieces of tested evidence. Blood found on Louisma’s Honda Accord trunk lid belonged to Hoffman. Two of the coated rubber gloves indicated a three-person mixture, with Hoffman making a significant contribution, but not a small one. And the inside of one glove showed a mix of three individuals, with Van Patten the main contributor.

DNA from the back of Hoffman’s shirt matched Hoffman’s profile; blood from one piece of duct tape was a mixture of two individuals, but only Hoffman was identified as a significant contributor.

Schneider said blood was found on a paracord, a pocket knife and the handle of a knife. It showed a combination of two or three people, but only Hoffman’s profile was identified.

The machetes showed no blood, but investigators found a mixture of DNA for two people, identifying only Kimpton.

There was a roll of duct tape that was tested for blood. The contributors were Hoffman and Van Patten, Schneider testified.

The Public Prosecution Service will continue the case on Friday. The trial is expected to continue next week.

Notes: (319) 398-8318; [email protected]