Rachel’s Timeline

  • February 22, 2007 Arrested for possession of 25 grams (0.9 oz.) of marijuana during a traffic stop and subsequently ordered to a drug court supervised program.
  • Late March 2008 Attended a funeral outside of Tallahassee and missed a mandatory drug test.
  • April 4-6, 2008 Served three days in Leon County Jail for failure to appear in court.
  • April 17, 2008 Anonymous tip led to apartment search where police found 151.7 grams (or 5.328 ounces) of cannabis, and 4 ecstasy pills.
  • April 25, 2008 Graduated from FSU with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
  • May 7, 2008 Used as a confidential informant by police to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and a handgun using $13,000 cash in a buy–bust operation.
  • May 7, 2008 Murdered by Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 26
  • May 8, 2008 Deneilo Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Green, 26 were arrested in Orlando
  • May 9, 2008 The two men suspected in her kidnapping and robbery led investigators to her body.
  • May, 13, 2008 Rachel’s funeral, Temple Ahavat Shalom at Curlew Hills Memorial Gardens
  • July 24, 2008 ABC’s 20/20, Brian Ross: “Are Pot Users Criminals? The Tragic Case of Rachel Hoffman
  • August 1, 2008  Police Chief’s response to Grand Jury findings.
  • August 4, 2008 Five Tallahassee law enforcement officials involved in the drug bust put on paid administrative leave until the department completed an internal-affairs investigation. This decision came after the department received the case evidence and reviewed the grand jury’s findings. Capitol News story. 
  • August 8, 2008 Published results of the grand jury investigation found that the police undercover operations were negligent and led to death of 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman. The TallahasseeO article.
  • August 14, 2009 – NBC’s Dateline with Chris Hansen: “Deadly Dealing” Report
  • January 8, 2009  Florida SB 604 filed (known as “Rachel’s Law”) by sponsors state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, co-sponsor Rep. Peter Nehr, R-Palm Harbor and CS sponsors Criminal Justice Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
  • March 5, 2009  Bill sponsors make a deal with law-enforcement agencies who offered a compromise measure that requires agencies to adopt minimal guidelines by the end of the year or risk the bill being killed.
  • May 7, 2009 “Rachel’s Law” was passed by the Florida State Senate and signed into law by then-Gov. Charlie Crist.
  • November 30, 2009  Deneilo Bradshaw murder trial begins.
  • December 6, 2009  Andrea Green murder trial begins.
  • December 17, 2009  Deneilo Bradshaw convicted of 1st Degree Murder and robbery with a firearm and sentenced to life in prison.
  • March 10, 2010  Andrea Green convicted of 2nd Degree Murder and robbery with a firearm and sentenced to life in prison with no parole.
  • December 29, 2009  Family files a wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Tallahassee.
  • March 5, 2012  Florida House passes $2.4 million Hoffman claims bill, 99-13. The city publicly apologized and settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Rachel Hoffman’s parents. Total settlement was $2.6 million ($200K came from City budget and the rest from the passing of the bill).
  • September 3, 2012 New Yorker magazine article “The Throwaways” by Sarah Stillman