Rachel Hoffman's Parents to Get $2.4 Million

A Palm Harbor man says he is ready to move on with this life, after years of anguish in connection with his daughter's murder.

Lawmakers passed a bill Friday that pays Irv Hoffman and Margie Weiss a $2.4 million settlement in a wrongful death suit. Their daughter, Rachel Hoffman, was 23 years-old when she was killed during a botched undercover drug sting in 2008. The bill now awaits Governor Rick Scott's signature.

"It's done, it's finished and it's time to move along," Hoffman told Tallahassee.com Friday. "I'm tired, exhausted, and I'm happy to finish up today."

Hoffman visits his daughter's grave in Palm Harbor daily. His devotion to her was also visible in Tallahassee Friday, when he spoke about her killers, and a law that was passed in 2010 bearing her name.

"We got (her murderers) off the streets so they'll never hurt anyone else, we got Rachel's Law to protect all the other Rachels out there and we got the City of Tallahassee to take responsibility for what they did," he told Tallahassee.com. 

Rachel's Law created standards for police agencies to use when recruiting informants and when carrying out undercover drug stings.

Hoffman lost her life after agreeing to act as an undercover decoy for Tallahassee Police, to avoid felony drug charges after she was arrested for possessing marijuana twice. Police gave the FSU grad $13,000 to buy a gun and cocaine from two suspects. They had planned to monitor the deal and arrest the suspects. But, police lost track of Hoffman when the location of the buy was changed and her wire died.

After their arrests, the suspects led police to Hoffman's body. She had been shot five times. The suspects were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The city of Tallahassee settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Hoffman's parents this January. However, lawmakers had to approve the payment, which is what they voted on Friday.

TBO.com reported that lawyer Lance Block, who has represented Hoffman's parents throughout the case, said he was pleased the Legislature supported them.

"I'm so happy for Irv and Margie that this case is about to end," he said. "They can finally get this behind them and get on with their lives."