STAS4: Rachel Hoffman

What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

Scott Johnson & Glassbox Media

True Crime, Documentary, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 May 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

To the Tallahassee Police, Rachel Hoffman was just a pawn to be used in their war on drugs. Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS. Try What Was That Like PLUS free: iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free” Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app Sponsor deals: Head to http://Lumen.me/WWTL for 20% off your purchase. Sign up today at https://www.butcherbox.com/whatwas and use code whatwas to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year, plus $20 off your first order. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/WHAT Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Scott, and you're listening to What Was That Like?
0:05.4	Every other Friday, I have a guest come on and talk about something they experienced that was extremely unusual.
0:12.7	Today's Friday, and we're in between new episodes.
0:16.7	So I want to tell you a story.
0:21.3	Today I'm going to tell you about Rachel Hoffman, how she became a hesitant police informant,
0:28.7	and the unfortunate events that led to the introduction of what's known as Rachel's Law.
0:38.0	It started as a common enough story, one that plays out quietly in college towns all across the
0:45.7	country every year.
0:47.8	A young woman in her early 20s, studying psychology and entertaining dreams of culinary school, finds herself experimenting with recreational drugs.
1:01.0	But what happened to Rachel Hoffman in 2008 didn't end with a slap on the wrist or a warning from a judge.
1:10.0	It ended in a ravine in rural Florida, with five bullets in her head and chest, and with serious
1:18.7	questions about how law enforcement uses confidential informants, especially the untrained,
1:27.3	the vulnerable, and the disposable.
1:32.4	Her death wasn't just a tragedy.
1:35.0	It was a catastrophe in policing.
1:42.7	Sitting quietly once you've made the house all shiny. Down time can be just fine, playing bangers from the 90s.
1:50.0	Tea break. Lunch break. Maybe listen to the outbreak. Sometimes it's not time for some tombole right. It's enjoying lasagna time. Chilling with a book time, or time to visit your nan time.
2:02.8	Go on, play some other time. Put your phone down. Tombollah. Open for fun.
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