By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The last words now-convicted murderer Donald W. Hoffman heard as he left the Crawford County Common Pleas courtroom Wednesday morning were shouts of “beast” and “coward” from family members of the four men he killed.
In sentencing him, Judge Russell Wiseman told Hoffman emphatically, “. . . this community bids you goodbye.”
Hoffman was sentenced to four consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole for the deaths of Bill Jack Chatman, Gerald Smith, Freelin Hensley and Darrell Lewis.
Prosecutor Matt Crall discussed why he felt the plea arrangement was the right thing to do.
“Well hopefully this will allow closure and for the families to heal. You heard a lot of sorrow in the courtroom,” Crall said. “Part of what we discussed was if we had a plea today that would end his court appearances; it would be the end of everything. And that’s the main reason why we chose to do that, both for the families and our community.”
More than 30 members of the victims’ families filled the courtroom along with media, enhanced security, and the prosecution when Hoffman was brought into the courtroom shackled and wearing a protective vest under his orange jumpsuit.
Hoffman was given headphones to enhance his hearing of the proceedings.
As part of the plea arrangement with the county prosecutor’s office, Hoffman pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated murder. In exchange for that plea the remaining 17 charges in the indictment were dropped as were death penalty specifications on each of the capital charges.
Crall said after the hearing that Hoffman had actually wanted to plead to guilty to the murders the day he walked into the Bucyrus Police Department and told police he had not only murdered Freelin Hensley and Bill Jack Chatman whose bodies had been found the day before, but Gerald Smith and Darrell Lewis who authorities knew nothing about until Hoffman told them.
“One thing that made this case very unique is he wanted to plead from the get-go,” Crall said, noting the case was now concluded just 135 days after Hoffman’s arrest. “He wanted to plead that very day. In the legal system, you can’t quite do it that way.”
Hoffman did not speak in the barely audible, slow-paced voice as he had done in previous court appearances. Instead his voice was clear and controlled, his face stoic and without emotion throughout the entire proceeding, even as the media cameras clicked.
“Yes sir,” Hoffman repeated concisely several times as Wiseman questioned him about the plea agreement he had signed, whether he fully understood his rights to a trial and whether his court-appointed attorneys – Robert and Rolf Whitney – had sufficiently answered any questions he had. “They answered everything. I completely understand the agreement.”
Hoffman explained during the questioning from Wiseman why he accepted the plea deal and pleaded guilty.
“I entered into this agreement to save the burden of that trial on the community.”
As Wiseman systematically read the charges, Hoffman answered, “Yes sir, I caused the death of that individual.”
Four people came to the podium in the center of the courtroom just a few feet from Hoffman who was flanked at the defense table by his two attorneys. Hoffman never looked at any of the four, staring straight ahead, expressionless and again without emotion.
The emotion was all behind him in the gallery and by those selected to deliver victim impact statements to the court.
Brenda Lauthers, sister of victim Freelin Hensley, read a letter from Mike Lewis, a brother of Darrell Lewis. ”We, the family of those dead men, are a heartbroken people.”
Freelin Hensley’s brother, Ken, read a prepared statement and then sought permission from the judge to ask a question. Turning directly to Hoffman, he asked the admitted killer of his brother, “What would make you want to do something like this, you coward?”
Two daughters of the victims also spoke, Freelin Hensley’s daughter Donna Hardymon and Bill Jack Chatman’s daughter Macey Chatman.
Hoffman declined the opportunity to address he court or the victims’ families. When it came time for the actual sentencing, the judge had a stare of his own for Hoffman and his demeanor changed as well. Wiseman called his crimes over the Labor Day weekend, “horrific.”
“I hope the words you heard here today ring in your ears for the rest of your life,” the judge said to a chorus of “amen” from the gallery.
Then the judge bid Hoffman farewell on behalf of the community – 135 days too late for Bill Jack Chatman, Freelin Hensley, Darrell Lewis and Gerald Smith.