The Hiawatha man’s social media accounts reveal his searches after the murder

CEDAR RAPIDS – A Hiawatha man accused of kidnapping and killing Melody Hoffman regularly checked her Facebook homepage but stopped five days before she was killed on Feb. 17; on Feb. 18, he searched the Iowa Missing Persons Alert page and her mother’s Facebook page.

Special Agent Marissa Mussman of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation testified Friday about social media activities and communications from McKinley Louisma23, who is on trial this week in Linn County District Court for torturing and killing Hoffman, 20, of Marion.

She said Louisma began searching or visiting the Facebook page of Melody’s mother, Megan Hoffman, starting in December 2023 and visited her page about seven times until January 7, around the time Melody broke up with her.

Mussman said Louisma visited the Iowa Missing Persons Alert on Feb. 18, and went to Megan Hoffman’s profile about an hour later. Louisma continued to search or visit Megan’s page on February 18 and 19.

Mussman said Louisma was likely checking Megan Hoffman’s page for updates she could post about her daughter.

Louisma is charged with first-degree murderfirst-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime. His co-conspirator, Dakota Van Patten, 18, of Cedar Rapids, is also charged with killing Melody Hoffman.

According to testimony this week, Hoffman died of strangulation around midnight on Feb. 17. Prosecutors said she was tortured and killed at Morgan Creek Park in Cedar Rapids and her body was then left at Lily Pond Park in Amana.

‘Friday the 13th’

Mussman also identified Louisma’s Facebook profile for the jury, which Mussman downloaded on February 18. His cover photo, which was updated the day before Hoffman’s murder, featured an image of Jason Vorhees from the “Friday the 13th” films, holding a machete.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks asked Mussman what Jason did in the movie.

Mussman said the character “stalks and kills people” around “Crystal Lake” using a machete.

According to evidence from the lawsuit, Louisma and Van Patten previously purchased two machetes at Walmart on February 17. One was found in Louisma’s car, between the front seat and the console. Investigators believe the machetes may have been used in the attack because Hoffman had stab and laceration wounds to her back.

Louisma’s profile photo was also shown to the jury. In the photo he has his hand in the shape of a gun. His status at the time indicated that he was in a relationship with ‘Nakia Reed’, Nakia Svoboda, his former long-time girlfriend, which is why Melody Hoffman broke up with him.

Mussman identified social media communications between Louisma and Hoffman that appeared to indicate Hoffman’s frustration with him after they broke up.

January 7 exchange

On January 7, Melody Hoffman sent a message to Louisma asking why he didn’t want to be with her. Louisma replied asking her why she texted him and said he “didn’t want to play the game you’re playing because (because) I’m not interested.”

Hoffman then sent a message saying she was going to throw away the items he left in her apartment. He tells her to “have fun.”

Jan. 7 is also the day Hoffman received an anonymous threatening message, Mussman said. Investigators did not know who sent it.

In other social media posts, Hoffman contacted Louisma via phone calls or messages, but he did not respond to her.

Mussman also identified a message Megan Hoffman sent to Louisma on February 18, asking if her daughter was with him. He denied it.

Louisma then sent a message to Melody Hoffman, who was already dead, saying her mother was trying to reach her. Louisma asked Melody if everything was okay and told her to get her mother.

Mobile locations

In other testimony, Cedar Rapids police investigator Jeff Holst testified about his forensic examination of Louisma’s cell phone, from which he retrieved locations, photos and user activity specific to Hoffman’s murder.

Previous testimony from investigators discussed much of the same information using Hoffman’s phone, which her mother used to track through a location app on her daughter’s phone. Melody had a mild intellectual disability, so her mother monitored her movements for safety reasons.

Louisma’s phone showed the exact times Louisma, Van Patten and Melody Hoffman were at Morgan Creek Park, from 12:09 a.m. to approximately 12:26 a.m. on February 18. Investigators believe Hoffman was tortured and murdered.

His phone also showed Louisma traveling back to Marion and then going to Lily Pond Park in Amana, where police found Hoffman’s body later on the morning of February 18.

The forensic investigation revealed that Louisma arrived at Lily Pond Park at 2:15 am and left around 2:35 am.

Louisma’s camera app on his phone was activated, meaning photos were taken at Morgan Creek, once when he arrived and once before he left, Holst said.

Holst also discovered that a torture photo of Hoffman with duct tape over her mouth, shown to the jury on Thursday, had been cropped or shared by Louisma and then sent to the trash, but had not been permanently deleted. Louisma also looked at his trash bin after sending the photo.

Holst also discovered a Snapchat conversation between Louisma and an unnamed person. The person was identified by a series of numbers because Louisma had deleted that contact.

The message is believed to have come from Hoffman on February 17, when she left her mother’s house without telling her:

Hoffman: How long are you staying?

Louisma: Not much longer

Hoffman: Would you like me to meet you at cayces (Caseys)

Louisma: Just to Wendy

Hofman: K

Hoffman: Yours is close

Louisma: Just come where I always am

Hofman: Hurry

Louisma: Okay

Louisma’s phone showed he was near Hoffman’s home on Feb. 17 at 11:24 p.m., Holst said.

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