Reasonable doubt, says Hoefman’s counsel

By Alex McCuaig Special to the News on March 24, 2021.

Medicine Hat’s chief Crown prosecutor put the pieces of the puzzle of who killed James Satre together during closing arguments Monday, painting a picture for the jury of Robert Hoefman’s guilt.

Hoefman’s DNA on a pair of glasses linked to him that were splattered with the blood of Satre found at the scene of the homicide, digital evidence gathered from the accused man’s home including copies of extortion letters, shoe prints and video evidence all leads to one conclusion.

“There are just too many coincidences and puzzle pieces that cannot be explained away by Mr. Hoefman,” Crown Ramona Robins told the court. “These aren’t random pieces. They do all fit together … you can reach only one conclusion based on all of the evidence – that Robert Hoefman is guilty of first-degree murder and extortion.”

Hoefman is accused of an elaborate plot to shake down $1 million from an individual who can’t be identified due to a publication ban in 2017, and killing 63-year-old Satre as part of the extortion.

Between Oct. 10 and Nov. 7, 2017, letters were left at the extortion target’s workplace explaining how to follow a bread-crumb trail of envelopes left at various locations across Medicine Hat leading to a spot where a cash-filled bag was to be left. That collection of letters also included one to the Medicine Hat News taunting police after that money drop went awry. The last letter – as well as one which was reassembled from a shredder – presented a second chance to the target to deliver the million dollars.

Many of the letters threatened mass murder of Medicine Hat residents if the money wasn’t delivered.

The Crown’s theory is Satre was an innocent bystander who was killed to prove Hoefman meant business in his demands for an extortion payment.

Hoefman was arrested at his home on Nov. 8.

The 59-year-old Hoefman presented no evidence or witnesses in his defence.

Nor is such a defence necessary as the onus is on the Crown to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

A point in which defence counsel Heather Ferg used as she raised multiple questions about the possibility of involvement of others in the crimes her client stands accused of and gaps in the evidence presented.

“(Robins is) asking you to brand this man a murderer. She’s asking you to do that based on the Crown’s evidence,” Ferg said to jurors. “When you really look at this evidence, there is no way you can do that.”

For more than two hours, Ferg posed questions the jurors need to consider including the possible involvement of an ex-business associate of the extortion target and connection of that early suspect with a neighbour of Satre.

Ferg went as far as posing questions about whether it was possible Hoefman’s wife was involved in the crimes.

Jurors should question whether Hoefman had either the physical or mental capacity to commit the crimes after the court heard how family of the man worried about both aspects of the accused’s health, Ferg put to the jury.

All questions which the jury doesn’t have answers to, Ferg said.

She questioned Medicine Hat police actions which Ferg told the jury were questionable considering the risk of cross-contaminating DNA evidence from one item to evidence presented at trial.

Ferg questioned the actions of allowing an officer who had a social relationship with a suspect allowed to be part of the investigation.

“It’s on the basis of all of the questions that I have posed to you,” Ferg summed up her closing, “that the Crown has failed to answer key questions and I am asking you to acquit Bob Hoefman of both counts.”

Jurors will be provided instructions by Justice Dallas Miller on Wednesday morning and will begin deliberations following that charge.