Iowa teen accused in brutal murder took 200 selfies wearing victim's glasses, prosecutors say
Prosecutors allege Dakota Van Patten photographed himself in Melody Hoffman’s eyewear as investigators detail the extended timeline and evidence.
A teenage murder suspect in Iowa is accused of torturing and killing Melody Hoffman, a 20-year-old woman described by prosecutors as having an intellectual disability. Dakota Van Patten, 19, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in the death, which investigators say occurred around midnight Feb. 18, 2024, in Amana. Prosecutors say Van Patten helped his friend McKinley Louisma orchestrate the crime, and Louisma already has been sentenced to life in prison. A third man, Logan Kimpton, 19, allegedly backed out before the killing.
During a court hearing, prosecutors disclosed that Van Patten snapped more than 200 selfies while wearing Hoffman’s clear-framed glasses between 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2024. The photos show him shirtless in bed, wearing the sweatshirt Hoffman reportedly wore the night of the murder, and vaping, with the victim's eyewear perched on his face. Investigators also found a photo on Van Patten's phone of Hoffman’s four-digit iPhone passcode and additional images of him posing with a realistic BB gun on Feb. 17, the day before the killing.
Authorities say Hoffman was coaxed from her home the night of Feb. 17, 2024, by the three suspects and then bound with duct tape, wrists and ankles secured, before being shoved into the trunk of Louisma’s car. The group allegedly drove to a location near Amana, where Hoffman was stabbed multiple times and strangled. The body was later dumped by Lily Pond in Amana, and investigators say the suspects mutilated the corpse.
Court documents show the trio were seen buying gloves and machetes at a Cedar Rapids Walmart on the day of the killing, and Kimpton is alleged to have backed out before the murder. Additional items recovered from Louisma's car included a pocketknife with stains, several machetes, a rope, a roll of duct tape, pink HeyDude shoes and a cut-up pink shirt with duct tape affixed.
DNA testing linked Van Patten to material recovered from the duct tape, a glove and the victim’s glasses, prosecutors said. Forensic testimony also noted Hoffman's iPhone passcode on Van Patten’s device and images of him with a BB gun, according to court records summarized by local outlets. The medical examiner testified that Hoffman tested positive for hormones that could indicate pregnancy, according to reports.
Louisma, who has already been sentenced to life in prison for Hoffman’s death, is described as a key co-conspirator in the investigation. Van Patten’s case marks a separate prosecution in Linn County, with him facing charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. The proceedings are ongoing, and no verdict has been reached for Van Patten.
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks told the court that Hoffman was described as overly trusting and had an intellectual disability, a factor prosecutors cited when outlining motive and vulnerability of the victim. Maybanks said Hoffman’s mental capacity was closer to that of a 14-year-old than a typical adult, according to reports.
As the investigation proceeds, authorities described the case as among the most brutal in the region in recent years. Prosecutors have said additional evidence may surface as court proceedings continue, and the defendants’ status will be updated as new information becomes available.