(Marion County, FL) Shortly after 10 a.m. this morning, the Honorable Judge Willard Pope sentenced 44-year-old Jennifer Sue Hill to Life for Second-degree Murder.

“Today’s sentence is a reminder of the irreversible consequences of mistaken identity,” said William “Bill” Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “Hill’s life sentence reflects the impartiality of the law in a case where an individual’s life was cut short due to the carelessness of another.”

Back on December 13, 2023, a jury found Hill guilty of second-degree murder following a roadside shooting in Ocklawaha that resulted in the death of 39-year-old Michael Tron Hofacker.

The incident unfolded on November 28, 2020, around 7:30 p.m. in the 3200 block of S. Highway 314A. Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene to investigate. Initial reports indicated Hill fatally shot Michael.

Eyewitness accounts suggest that Hill wrongly identified the victim as someone else named Michael. The witness, a friend of the victim, stated that the victim did not pose a threat and was unarmed at the time of the incident.

Hill’s inconsistent statements during the investigation raised further questions, with no evidence discovered to corroborate her statements. Hill was subsequently arrested on November 29, 2020.

Assistant State Attorneys Sasha Kidney and Wynn Vickers successfully prosecuted this case.

Published on 03/25/2024.