Murder, extortion trial of Robert Hoefman underway

By Alex McCuaig Special to the News on March 4, 2021.

A Medicine Hat jury heard about a homicide, a duffle-bag full of cash as part of a payoff and threats to kill multiple people during the opening Crown statement in the first-degree murder and extortion trial of Robert Hoefman.

Hoefman, 59, is accused of stabbing 63-year-old James Satre to death on Oct. 10, 2017 as part of a blackmailing scheme to shake down a Medicine Hat resident for $1 million.

The target of the blackmail can’t be identified due to a court-ordered publication ban.

In a blackmail letter taped to the door of where the extortion target worked, the author states those close to the man were under surveillance and, “we are ready to kill any one of them.”

The letter found on the morning of Oct. 10, 2017 threatened if the demands for $1 million wasn’t met or if the man didn’t follow instructions, people would be killed and the blackmail target would be responsible.

Satre was killed on the same day the blackmail letter was received, according to the indictment.

The letter also advised the extortion target to follow the news, foreshadowing a homicide by warning, “that kill will be free and we will not put your name on that body.”

The target of the extortion testified he ended up placing additional security cameras outside his workplace and eventually left the city with his family on the advice of police, with many individuals connected to him increasing their own personal security.

Under cross-examination of the extortion target, Hoefman’s defence counsel Heather Ferg focused on his initial suspicions that a former business associate might be responsible for the blackmail letter. The target testified to a deteriorating relationship between him and the business associate.

He testified the former business associate was, “the most likely person at the time,” and went into detail of professional, financial and personal difficulties the two were having in the months leading up to October 2017.

The court also heard testimony of similar concerns about the business associate from a colleague of the extortion target and expressed fears the man was potentially violent.

When asked by the defence whether that fear went so far as thinking the former business associate, “was going to shoot the place up,” the witness agreed.

The colleague and business associate can’t be identified to protect the identity of the extortion target.

Medicine Hat police Const. Matt Sanders testified about finding Satre on his stomach in a pool of blood a few minutes after being dispatched to Mill Street at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2017.

Crown Conor Doyle told the jury during the prosecution’s opening statement they will be hearing evidence about letters connected to the extortion being sent to various individuals around Medicine Hat and that a duffle bag made to look as if it contained $1 million was prepared by city police.

The 14-member jury will hear testimony from up to 100 witnesses, including an employee of the Medicine Hat News.