Thursday, December 17, 2009

Suspect guilty in death of informant


TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A 24-year-old man is guilty of first-degree murder in the death of a Florida woman who acted as a police informant, a 12-member jury said Thursday.

The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times said Deneilo Bradshaw was found guilty of first-degree murder and simple robbery in the death of 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman of Clearwater, Fla., and the sentencing phase of his trial is scheduled to begin Friday.

The conviction of Bradshaw, who could receive the death penalty, came on what would have been Hoffman's 25th birthday.

According to testimony in Bradshaw's trial, Hoffman was working as a confidential informant for narcotics officers when she was fatally shot on May 7, 2008.

Authorities said Hoffman, who was working with the police to avoid drug possession charges, was shot five times, three in head, during an arranged drug purchase.

While police were monitoring the drug purchase, they lost track of Hoffman when the sellers changed the meeting location.

The Times said Bradshaw and his co-defendant, Andrea Green, 27, were later arrested and charged with Hoffman's death. The trial of Green, who is suspected of being the shooter, is scheduled to begin next year.

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