CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Monday marked the fourth day of the trial of 19-year-old Dakota Van Patten. He is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in the death of Melody Hoffman last year.
Hoffman was a 20-year-old Marion woman whose body was found with slashes and stab wounds, clad only in undergarments, at Lily Lake in Amana on February 18, 2024.
McKinley Louisma, who was previously in a relationship with Hoffman, is already serving a life sentence in prison for his role in the murder. If found guilty, Van Patten would also receive an automatic life sentence…