This website was created to bring the killer of Murray Cohen to justice.

SARASOTA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO DESTROYED EVIDENCE OF A COLD-BLOODED MURDER, FILES TO RUN FOR SARASOTA SHERIFF IN 2020

July 4, 2019

On June 6, 2019, Kurt A. Hoffman filed with the Sarasota Supervisor of Elections, to be a candidate for Sarasota Sheriff in 2020. Hoffman is one of a few in the State of Florida who wears two hats at the same time. He is an active Attorney and Law Enforcement officer at the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office. 

He attended the FBI academy in Quantico,Virginia to enhance his resume and hone his law enforcement skills. Hoffman is a direct threat to justice and rule of law being served in the jurisdiction of Sarasota County. He purposefully and intentionally destroyed evidence of the torture killing of Murray B. Cohen which took place on Siesta Key, January 13, 2003.

Hoffman used his skills as an attorney and highly trained police officer to break the system and thwart justice from ever being served for Murray’s Florida family. Hoffman is a disgrace to honest law enforcement and everything the United States of America is suppose to stand for. Kurt A. Hoffman is the last person on this earth who should become a sheriff anywhere in America. 

THE CASE AGAINST HOFFMAN:

Shortly after Murray Cohen’s son Steven discovered his father did not die a natural death as SSO declared, he started his own investigation. Steven obtained a court order from the Twelfth Circuit Court, ordering SSO to preserve the hard drive containing the 911 call made by Murray’s wife of three weeks. He also obtained a court order compelling SSO to turn over the digital original copy of the 911 call in question. Instead, a 4th generation altered cassette copy was all SSO would provide. 

Murray’s family hired a computer expert to go in to the Sarasota communications center and retrieve an original copy directly from the hard drive. Sheriff’s Counsel, Kurt A. Hoffman was in charge in facilitating access to the hard drive. After a sixteen hour examination which took place in front of Hoffman, the certified computer expert discovered all the 911 calls made on the day of Murray Cohen’s death were surgically and deliberately deleted from the hard drive and the back up auxiliary recorder.  Hoffman was made aware of the expert’s findings and he refused to bring in the FBI or Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigated who violated the Court orders and destroyed evidence of murder. 

After the local newspaper, Sarasota Herald Tribune refused to investigate the blatant destruction of evidence, Murray’s son turned to the Orlando Sentinel for help. After telling his story, reporter, Jim Stratton was assigned. Stratton made a public records request to SSO for a copy of the 911 call made directly from the digital original. Days later, Hoffman provided the Orlando Sentinel with the same 4th generation altered cassette tape which was previously given to Murray’s son. After receiving the altered evidence, Reporter Stratton made a second Public Records request. This time, for access to the hard drive so that they bring in a forensic computer expert who specialized in deep recovery of deleted data, in an attempt to retrieve the deleted call. 

On the same day of the pending 2nd Orlando Sentinel Public Records request for access, Hoffman obtained an ex-parte court order behind the Esdale’s attorney’s back allowing him to destroy the hard drive. The next day, Hoffman had the hard drive picked up, whisked out of town and destroyed. His actions have allowed a stone cold blooded killer to remain on the streets and possibly claim another elderly victim.