An Iowa teen, 19-year-old Dakota Van Patten, is accused of kidnapping and killing a woman alongside his friend, McKinley Louisma. Allegedly, Van Patten took 200 selfies with the victim’s glasses.
As reported by Law & Crime, 20-year-old Melody Hoffman’s body was discovered on February 18, 2024. An autopsy showed that she had died via strangulation. Additionally, Hoffman suffered multiple stab and slash wounds on her body.
Iowa County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) deputies connected Louisma, who was reportedly dating Hoffman at the time, and Van Patten to the victim after interviewing witnesses, tracking her devices’ recorded data, as well as Van Patten’s phone.
Allegedly, both men had picked her up at around 11 p.m. on February 17, 2024, and took her to Morgan Creek Park in Linn County, Iowa.