A 49-year-old Puna man accused of shooting to death his wife and two young children created a scene during his initial court appearance Monday and said he wanted to act as his own attorney in his murder case. ADVERTISING A
A 49-year-old Puna man accused of shooting to death his wife and two young children created a scene during his initial court appearance Monday and said he wanted to act as his own attorney in his murder case.
“I’m my own sovereign person,” John Ali Hoffman told Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas after the judge appointed Brian De Lima as Hoffman’s attorney.
Hoffman is charged with first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, illegally carrying a firearm and use of a firearm in the commission of separate felony for the slayings early Friday morning at a Moku Street home in Leilani Estates.
“I don’t want to make a rash decision at this point,” Freitas told Hoffman when Freitas said he wanted to appoint De Lima as counsel. “OK, do you understand? I just want to make sure you understand.”
“No, I don’t understand, Your Honor,” Hoffman replied. “I would like the court, the judge to recuse himself. … Your Honor, I have been in front of the court numerous times on other occasions, including information that could be vital to this case that creates a conflict of interest, judge, and it’s a breach of national security. And if the information is divulged, then there will be a lot of consequences. There will be a lot going on here.”
“I hear you, Mr. Hoffman, and I’ve got to tell you, the more you speak about those things, the more I think I’ve got to leave Mr. De Lima in,” Freitas said. “So you might want to talk to him, because, like I said, the more you go down this path, the more I think I’ve got to keep Mr. De Lima in to make sure you’re protected.”
Freitas set a preliminary hearing date and upheld Hoffman’s bail at $2.75 million bail.
At that point, De Lima requested a mental examination for Hoffman, and Freitas granted the request, which suspends the criminal proceedings until a panel of three mental health professionals examines Hoffman for fitness to proceed and penal responsibility, which means Hoffman’s state of mind when he allegedly slew his family.
Freitas canceled the preliminary hearing and ordered Hoffman to return to court at 1:30 p.m. on June 14 for a hearing on the mental exams.
According to court documents filed by police, Hoffman called police at about 1:30 a.m. Friday morning and reported that three or four intruders entered his home and shot his wife, identified by police as 40-year-old Aracely Hoffman.
Police say documents at the home indicated the former Aracely Monroy Urruela, who originally was from El Salvador, married Hoffman in 2008.
When officers arrived at the home, they spotted a car leaving the house with its headlights off, documents state. Police stopped the car a block away, identified Hoffman and saw a handgun within his reach. They also noted blood dripping from the car’s trunk and found Aracely Hoffman dead inside, a gunshot wound to the head.
Officers went to the home and found the two children, a boy and a girl, both dead with gunshot wounds to the head. They were not identified in court documents, but the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported a sister of Hoffman said they were his daughter, Clara Mae, and son, John IV, both of whom were elementary school age.
Friends and family of the slain woman were present at the court hearing but didn’t talk to the media.
Hawaii County Prosecutor Mitch Roth and Deputy Prosecutor Forest Jenkins praised the work of police in apprehending the suspect and helping them get the case to court in a timely manner.
“Obviously, what happened is a tragedy for everybody involved, but as with all cases, we’ll be trying this one in the courtroom versus in the media,” Roth said.
After the hearing, De Lima said, “I am here to ensure that Mr. Hoffman’s rights are asserted and that he receives a fair trial and resolution of this matter.”
According to court documents, a check of a national crime computer database turned up no felony convictions for Hoffman.
Hoffman, who is originally from St. Louis, has posted both written and video rants on Facebook blaming the court system and judges he said took land he claimed rightful title to and conspired to kill him.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
