DEATH CERTIFICATE CONFIRMS HOFFMAN DIED FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS

An informant for Tallahassee police who was killed in May during a
drug sting died from "multiple gunshot wounds," according to a copy of
her death certificate.

Rachel Hoffman, 23, agreed to help police after drugs were found
during a search in her apartment in April.

Police gave Hoffman $13,000 in recorded bills to buy a gun, 2 ounces
of cocaine and 1,500 ecstasy pills May 7 from two men, Deneilo
Bradshaw, 22, of Tallahassee, and Andrea Green, 25, of Perry.

But Hoffman followed the two down Gardner Road instead of the arranged
location and police lost contact with her, according to Bradshaw and
Green's arrest report.

When investigators reached the 1000 block of Gardner Road, all they
found was one black flip-flop, one spent .25 caliber bullet, two live
.25 caliber rounds and tire skid marks, the report said. Hoffman was
wearing black flip-flops when she was reported missing.

Her cause of death had not been released by law enforcement.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate the
killing and would not comment on the death certificate information.
The Attorney General's Office is conducting an independent review of
TPD's internal policies and procedures as related to the Hoffman case.

Bradshaw and Green were arrested May 8 and led investigators to her
body in Taylor County the next day. Both are in the Leon County Jail
facing charges of armed robbery. They have a pretrial hearing
scheduled for July 14. A grand jury is expected to hear evidence in
the case to determine whether to file first-degree murder charges.

In the meantime, Hoffman's friends say they are planning a music
festival, the Purple Hatters Ball, in her honor July 12 at the
Ponderosa Wildlife Preserve in Quincy.

"We're all devastated," said her friend Paul Levine, who is organizing
the festival. "We all feel very strongly that coming together for a
day of music and food and community and celebration is the best way to
honor Rachel."

Proceeds from tickets sales will benefit the Morningstar Foundation,
which was established by Hoffman's family. Tickets are $30. They are
on sale at the Green Living Center, the CD Warehouse and Vinyl Fever
in Tallahassee. DubConscious, a dub reggae band from Athens, Ga., will
be headlining the event.

Hoffman's big, fuzzy purple hat, which she wore to festivals, was the
inspiration for the festival's name.

"Everybody just loved this hat that she had," friend Ilana Greenberg
said.