A dash cam shot of the first city police officer to arrive at the Mill Street homicide scene on the morning of Oct. 11, 2017.--DASHCAM PHOTO
Several Medicine Hat police officers testified Wednesday at the murder and extortion trial of Robert Hoefman, recapping previously heard testimony but also expanding on other evidence gathered – including the first encounter between investigators and the accused.
Hoefman, 59, is accused of the October 2017 first-degree murder of 63-year-old James Satre and the extortion of another individual who can’t be named due to a publication ban. It’s alleged the murder was part of the plot to extort $1 million from the extortion target.
MHPS Sgt. Jeff Klick told the court of obtaining warrants to covertly enter into a Super 8 motel room that belonged to an individual who was an out-of-town construction worker doing a job in the area. That individual testified on Tuesday.
On Oct. 16, 2017, an individual was seen smoking a pipe near where a million-dollar payoff was left next to water gates off a path near College Drive. The construction worker testified to being in the city for several months and would visit the area of the payoff drop spot to smoke pot and was staying at the Super 8.
Klick told the court that on Oct. 18, 2017, just before the covert entry warrant could be executed, a trail camera set up to monitor the drop spot was triggered. Armed with an image sent to his cellphone from that devise, he raced to the scene and saw a person matching the individual in the photo. That individual was identified as Hoefman.
Hoefman was approached by Klick when he stopped by his mother-in-law’s home located on College Drive in a house a few dozen metres from the drop spot.
Klick told the court he left Hoefman after some preliminary questions and a covert entry to the motel room was made later in the day.
A second covert entry into the motel room was planned for Oct. 19 but the construction crew had checked out. Klick interviewed the construction worker, and the investigation into the man ended and re-focused on an ex-business associate of the extortion target at that point.
A second sniper set up at the scene of the drop spot who was also part of the general investigation testified as well.
Const. Dominic Scrimger told the court of processing a pair of glasses but little else about the evidence.
The court heard on Tuesday how Hoefman had lost his glasses with the man’s mother-in-law saying it was sometime before Oct. 9.
The trial continues Thursday.
