In the quiet borough of Kinnelon, New Jersey, a call to police regarding an unknown medical emergency on February 15, 2015, led to a grim discovery at a home on Wedgewood Drive. Inside, authorities found 57-year-old James E. Hofstetter, a local construction business owner, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The male victim had lived in Kinnelon since 1988 and was a father of two sons.
The investigation quickly turned from a medical emergency to a homicide, and suspicion fell upon a family member. The victim's own son, 18-year-old Travis J. Hofstetter, soon became the primary suspect. Travis was apprehended by police shortly after the discovery of his father's body. He was found in nearby Hardyston Township, near the Skylands Ice World.
According to legal documents, the teenager called 911 himself and confessed to the crime, reportedly telling a dispatcher, 'I did something bad.'
Travis Hofstetter was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and two weapons offenses in connection with his father's death. Reports from the investigation indicated that James Hofstetter had been shot in the face and body with a rifle. The motive for the patricide was not made clear during the legal proceedings, with Travis Hofstetter declining to provide a reason for his actions.
Ultimately, Travis Hofstetter pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a weapons offense. In June 2016, the now 20-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in state prison for the murder of his father. The sentence came with the stipulation that he would not be eligible for parole. While he expressed regret for the murder, the community was left without a clear understanding of what led to the tragic event.
