![\"Hinson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6FK5K4CPRVBXBBEHMPCQ2F6HSA.jpeg\")
Hinson was found not guilty Friday evening after a four-day trial and about 90 minutes of jury deliberations. (Leon County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n
Hinson was found not guilty Friday evening after a four-day trial and about 90 minutes of jury deliberations. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than three years, the public heard only one side of this story,\u201d Hinson\u2019s attorney said in a statement to WCTV. \u201cLast week, however, after a week-long jury trial in which every witness testified, every text message was examined, every expert was heard, and every piece of admissible evidence was presented, a Leon County jury unanimously found Mr. Hinson Not Guilty of First-Degree Murder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hinson\u2019s defense attorney, Mike Bauer, spoke out about the not guilty verdict Monday. <\/p>\n
He contends Hinson never met with Hoffman the day she died, but admits Hoffman had purchased pills from Hinson on several prior occasions. Both Hinson and Hoffman thought those pills were Percocet, not fentanyl, Bauer said, and their text messages reflect that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they go test the drugs that you believe are Percocet and they come back clean, then you\u2019re okay. You\u2019ve sold something illegal,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cIf they come back as fentanyl, then you\u2019re a murderer. So we\u2019re just waiting for a toxicology result to tell us whether you\u2019ve sold something illegal or whether you\u2019ve committed first-degree murder. It all hinges on a lab result, and that\u2019s a little bit scary because the people dealing them and buying them have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
This case was the first of its kind in Tallahassee<\/a>. A 2017 change in Florida\u2019s murder statutes allows prosecutors to pursue murder charges against those who sell fentanyl \u201cwhen such substance or mixture is proven to be the proximate cause of death of the user.\u201d <\/p>\n Prosecutor Jasmine Mattear said she had a strong case against Hinson, presenting text messages, CashApp payments and Uber records as evidence that he sold Hoffman fentanyl the day she died. <\/p>\n \u201cIn any felony murder case, it may be too hard to accept that the law doesn\u2019t require an intent to kill or cause harm. I think that people may really struggle with that,\u201d Mattear said. \u201cWe respect the jury\u2019s verdict.\u201d<\/p>\n State Attorney Jack Campbell says the challenge with this case and others like it is trying to tie the drugs back to a particular source. <\/p>\n \u201cAs long as people are dying of fentanyl overdoses, we are going to keep trying to hold the dealers accountable for those deaths,\u201d Campbell said in response to the not guilty verdict.<\/p>\n Hinson took the stand to testify in his own defense during his trial. He testified that he previously sold Hoffman pills from the same batch of drugs without any reported ill effects, his lawyer said. <\/p>\n Bauer said the case should also serve as a reminder to both drug dealers and drug users of the dangers of illegal drugs. <\/p>\n \u201cCounterfeit pills and unknown substances can be extremely dangerous and may contain unexpected or lethal ingredients,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cThere\u2019s no way to know.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Hinson was cleared of murder charges, he remains in jail as drug charges against him are still pending. <\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n