Cedar Rapids man took 200 selfies wearing glasses of woman he is accused of killing

CEDAR RAPIDS — Out of the 268 photos an investigator recovered from the cellphone of Dakota Van Patten, 200 were selfies of him wearing the glasses of the 20-year-old Marion woman he is on trial for kidnapping and fatally strangling in February 2024.

Marion Investigator Tom Peterson, resuming his testimony from Friday, displayed the numerous selfies in a PowerPoint to quickly show the photos, which Van Patten took between 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 19.

That time frame was after Melody Hoffman was killed around midnight Feb. 18 at Morgan Creek Park in Cedar Rapids, and then her body was left at the Lily Pond in Amana.

Some of the selfies are of Van Patten shirtless and in bed, wearing Hoffman’s clear framed glasses and vaping. In other selfies, he also is wearing the sweatshirt investigators said he wore the night he killed Hoffman.

Many of the selfies are taken at different angles and with different lighting, but in all of them Van Patten is staring into the camera with little facial expression.

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Van Patten, 19, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. McKinley Louisma, 24, of Marion, Hoffman’s former boyfriend, was convicted last year.

The prosecution may wrap up its case Tuesday or Wednesday.

Peterson also identified some videos of the same thing — Van Patten wearing Hoffman’s glasses and vaping. There are other photos of him holding a BB gun, which looks like a handgun, or the gun in his waistband, while he’s sitting in a car. Those photos were taken about 10:20 p.m. on Feb. 17.

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This is around the same time he, Louisma and Logan Kimpton — also charged in this case — went to the southside Walmart in Cedar Rapids and purchased machetes and coated gloves, Peterson said.

Peterson also found a photo with “5917” typed over a blurred background, which Peterson said was Hoffman’s iPhone passcode. The photo was taken at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 17, which is when Hoffman was traveling to Morgan Creek Park, according to her iPhone location data.

Louisma’s phone history showed he accessed a photo at 4:05 a.m. Feb. 18 of Hoffman with duct tape over her mouth and a bloody nose. In the photo she was crying.

He also had selfies of Van Patten wearing Hoffman’s glasses on his phone.

Peterson testified the analysis of Louisma’s phone also showed his internet search history — which included face masks, neck gaiters, nitrile or rubber gloves — around the same time the three went to Walmart to purchase the machetes and gloves on Feb. 17.

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DNA evidence

In other testimony, Karlee Schneider, DCI criminalist, testified about possible DNA on the items found in a green bag inside Louisma’s vehicle trunk. Several items indicated Hoffman’s blood and Van Patten’s DNA were matched to blood found inside one of the gloves used in the crime.

Tested items included blood found on the trunk lid of Louisma’s vehicle and items in the bag — two pairs of coated gloves, Hoffman’s pink or peach shirt with duct tape stuck to the arms, hair stuck to duct tape, a green paracord and a pocket knife.

The blood found on the outside of the trunk lid matched Hoffman, Schneider testified.

One of the gloves contained a mixture of DNA from two individuals. Hoffman was the major contributor and the minor contributor was too weak to identify. Schneider said inside the same glove, there was a DNA mixture of three individuals, but they were insufficient to identify profiles.

The outside of a middle finger of a different glove tested positive for blood and had a mixture of three individuals. Hoffman was the major contributor, but the minor contributors couldn’t be identified.

Schneider said inside that same glove, there was a mixture of three individuals’ DNA, with Van Patten as the major contributor. The minor contributors were too weak for a profile.

On the other pair of gloves, one hand of the glove tested positive for blood on the outside ring finger and had a mixture of three individuals. Hoffman was the major contributor, but the minors couldn’t be identified, Schneider testified.

Areas on Hoffman’s pink shirt, which she was wearing when she was killed, tested positive for her blood. One area on the cuff of the shirt was a mixture of DNA from three individuals, but it was too weak to identify a profile, Schneider said.

The blood found on duct tape with hair attached that was stuck to Hoffman’s sleeve of her shirt was a mixture of three individuals with Hoffman as the major contributor, Schneider said. The others were too weak to identify a profile.

Different pieces of paracord, also found in Louisma’s vehicle trunk, had DNA from three individuals, but only Hoffman’s profile could be identified.

Schneider said Hoffman’s glasses — at the temple tip and nose pieces — had a DNA mixture of two individuals, with Van Patten as the major contributor. The DNA from the minor contributor was too weak to identify, she said.

Van Patten’s blood also was found on a used duct tap roll. Another person’s DNA was also found on the roll, but was too weak for a profile.

The handle of one of the machetes also had DNA of two individuals on it, but only one profile was identified belonging to Kimpton, Schneider said.

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Kimpton didn’t participate in the kidnapping and killing of Hoffman, according to court documents. He is accused of knowing about the plan and going with Van Patten and Louisma when they purchased the machetes.

On cross exam, Schneider said she couldn’t determine when DNA was left on an item. DNA can live on a surface or object for a short or long time. Heat, ultraviolet lighting and chemical agents can degrade it.

On redirect exam, she said DNA also can deteriorate if an item is laundered or handled by multiple people

Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com