Canada - Trial of Robert Hoefman, alleged murder to scare million dollar extortion victim

[MistyWaters]

Absolutely chilling -

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/medicine-hat-murder-extortion-hoefman-satre-1.5935310

“One day after a Medicine Hat, Alta., man received a letter that demanded $1 million and included a vow that somebody would be murdered to prove the seriousness of the threat, a random victim was fatally stabbed in the city, a jury heard Wednesday.

The bizarre details were revealed at the murder and extortion trial of Robert Hoefman, in Alberta's Court of Queen's Bench in Medicine Hat.

Hoefman, also of Medicine Hat, is charged with the extortion of a man who was threatened on Oct. 10, 2017 to pay $1 million or watch as friends, family and strangers were murdered.

The next day, the body of James Satre was discovered in an alley for which Hoefman faces a first-degree murder charge.

The Crown's theory is that murder was an intimidation tactic to scare the extortion victim into giving up the money.........”

 

[MistyWaters]

Horrifying testimony regarding the extortion attempt, then an innocent man was indeed murdered -

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/medicine-hat-murder-extortion-hoefman-satre-1.5935310
Here is the game'
"Here is the game and if you play without cheating then you will win because you will have saved a lot of lives," the letter said.

"On the other hand, cheat and we promise that you, [your wife] and a lot of other innocent people close to you, or perhaps you do not even know them, will die."

The letter told the man to be smart, not brave.

"Perhaps you would like an example of what we are capable of doing should you even be thinking of choosing the wrong option," it said.

Listen to the radio for news of murder: letter
The letter instructed the man to put a red piece of paper on the door of his workplace all day on Day 1.

"On Day 2 we will show you exactly what we can do," it promised.

"We could leave a small body part like a finger, or an ear or a tongue but we do not want to freak out your assistants, so just hearing that an individual was brutally murdered on the radio should be enough.

"Better get at it for we have no communication for any excuse you may have."

 

[MistyWaters]

Wow thank goodness for the DNA and IT forensics or the wrong person might’ve been convicted, the former business partner. Sad and senseless case, how an totally innocent man was murdered only to strengthen an extortion threat.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calg...ine-hat-satre-hoefman-trial-verdict-1.5962514
A man in Medicine Hat, Alta., has been found guilty of murder and extortion in a bizarre case involving a demand for $1 million, a threat of murder and a victim who was found dead 24 hours later. ....

.....Prosecutors presented evidence to jurors including a search warrant executed on Hoefman's home, where police seized a laptop, USB memory sticks and a paper shredder.

On the electronics, police found copies of letters similar to the ones sent to the extortion victim.

Hoefman's DNA was ultimately found on the extortion letters and at the murder scene.

Defence lawyers Ian McKay and Heather Ferg suggested the extortion victim's former business partner was responsible for the crimes.

Initially, even the recipient of the letter believed his former partner was behind the extortion.

The former partner owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the letter recipient and the two were embroiled in court proceedings to the point that a writ of enforcement had been issued following arbitration and a receiver appointed through the courts......”