Shivangi Sinha
In November 2010, police in Howard, Ohio, began investigating the disappearance of four individuals: Tina Herrmann, her two children, Kody and Sarah Maynard, and Tina’s friend, Stephanie Sprang. With no initial trace of them, the case took a turn when authorities discovered crucial evidence in the family’s garage, which led them to Matthew Hoffman. It was later revealed that Hoffman had murdered Tina, Kody, and Stephanie, and had abducted Sarah, keeping her captive in his home. Discovery+’s ‘The Basement: A Vanishing in Apple Valley’ delves into the details of the case, exploring Hoffman’s motives and the disturbing events surrounding the crime.
Matthew Hoffman Committed a Triple Homicide and an Abduction While Attempting a Robbery
Matthew J. Hoffman was born on November 1, 1980, in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Little information is available about his early years, childhood, or upbringing, though reports suggest he relocated to Colorado around 2000. In 2001, Hoffman was reportedly convicted of theft, burglary, and first-degree arson after setting fire to a condominium complex in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He served a six-year prison term and returned to Ohio by 2007, where he worked as a tree trimmer. At the time of the crimes, he was living at 49 Columbus Road in Clinton Township, just south of Mount Vernon. In late October 2010, his car was repossessed after his girlfriend alleged that he had choked her and had moved out. He was also claiming unemployment benefits at the time.
Neighbors and locals later described Hoffman as generally quiet and non-confrontational, though he occasionally displayed strange behavior. One of his most unusual habits was collecting piles of leaves from the streets. On November 9, 2010, Hoffman reportedly went camping in the woods, and the following day, he decided to break into Tina Herrmann’s home in Howard, Ohio, intending to commit a burglary. According to his own statements, he claimed that he entered the house to steal and did not expect Tina to return early. When she did, he attacked her, and soon after, her friend Stephanie Sprang arrived. Hoffman stated that he stabbed both women to death during the confrontation.
Hoffman admitted that he hadn’t anticipated Tina’s children, 11-year-old Kody Maynard and 13-year-old Sarah Maynard, returning home from school. When they arrived, he attacked them, killing Kody and claiming that he spared Sarah because he thought he could control her. Afterward, he took Stephanie’s car and placed the remains of Tina, Kody, and Stephanie, along with a blindfolded Sarah, inside it and drove back to his home. There, he held Sarah captive in his basement while dismembering the victims’ remains. He placed it in garbage bags and concealed them inside a 60-foot hollow tree in the Kokosing Wildlife Area near Fredericktown.
Matthew Hoffman’s House was Filled With Piles of Dead Leaves
When the family was reported missing, an intensive investigation followed. A deputy had spotted Matthew Hoffamn loitering near Tina Herrmann’s abandoned truck and when questioned, he answered that he was waiting for his girlfriend, Sarah. It is believed that he had intended to burn the evidence from there. The first major clue for police came from a Walmart shopping bag and a receipt for tarps. They reviewed the surveillance footage from Walmart and identified Hoffman as the man who had made the purchases. Tracing his vehicle and license plate, investigators located his residence, where they discovered and rescued Sarah on November 14. She was bound and was being held in the basement of his home.
Hoffman was immediately taken into custody. Reports described his home as chaotic and unsettling, as every room was filled with piles of leaves, and dead squirrels were found stored in his freezer. Initially, Hoffman denied involvement, claiming he couldn’t remember committing the crimes and insisting that he had simply “found” Sarah in his house, realizing later that he might have done something terrible. However, on November 18, while in custody, Hoffman began revealing more details about what had actually happened.
Matthew Hoffman is Behind Bars in Ohio Today
On the condition that he would not receive the death penalty, Matthew Hoffman wrote a ten-page confession letter detailing the crimes and revealing the location of the victims’ remains. In his statement, he claimed that he had treated Sarah kindly, allowing her to shower and giving her food. However, it was later proven that he had sexually assaulted her, and Sarah herself stated that the only food she received was cereal and spoiled milk.
In January 2011, Hoffman pleaded guilty to ten criminal charges, including three counts of aggravated murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of sexual assault, and several related offenses. That same month, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Hoffman, now 45, is serving his sentence at the Toledo Correctional Institution in Toledo, Ohio, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his life.
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