Murder case suspect arraigned on federal child porn charges

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A 21-year-old Indiana man suspected of orchestrating the death of an Alaska teenager was arraigned in federal court on child pornography charges.

Anchorage television station KTVA reports Darin Schilmiller of New Salisbury was extradited Monday and arraigned Wednesday in Anchorage.

He will be arraigned Friday in state court on charges of first- and second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman of Anchorage.

State prosecutors say Schilmiller posed online as a millionaire and promised to pay 18-year-old Denali Brehmer $9 million or more to murder someone in Alaska.

Prosecutors say Brehmer recruited four others to help kill Hoffman on June 2.

The federal child pornography case stems from sexually explicit photos Brehmer sent to Schilmiller.

Federal public defender Burke Wonnell said Thursday by email he had no comment.
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Information from: KTVA-TV, http://www.ktva.com