Tight-Lipped Matthew Hoffman Calm in Court
We don't really know much about Matthew Hoffman. He's 30 years old. He's a handyman who works intermittently. His last job was as a tree-trimmer, but he's not doing that now, CBS News Correspondent Dean Reynolds reports.
Hoffman served eight years in prison for an arson conviction in Colorado and was recently paroled. He came back to Ohio in 2007. Now he's in the Knox County jail north of Columbus.
He's accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl, Sarah Maynard. Authorities said they found Maynard Sunday bound and gagged in the basement of Hoffman's home. Hoffman was arrested, and a judge set bond for him at $1 million Tuesday.
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It's widely suspected that Hoffman had a hand in the disappearance of Sarah's mother, Tina Herrmann, 32; brother, Kody Maynard, 10; and family friend Stephanie Sprang, 41. They vanished on Wednesday, and the sheriff said they're probably dead.
Their home was splattered with blood when the police showed up Thursday after co-workers reported Herrmann missing.
On Tuesday, Hoffman was hooked up in a kind of video conference from jail to the Mount Vernon municipal courthouse.
His look was intriguing. Hair short but no buzz cut. Muscular arms on a fit physique. No telltale signs of aberrant behavior. No nervous ticks, no rapid gestures. Just a calm, expressionless appearance.
We learned from the prosecutor that his house was probably purchased for him by his mother.
She and Hoffman's step-father live a few doors down from Herrmann's house on King Beach Drive. They may well have been at home on Wednesday when Herrmann and the others vanished.
It is not known what they think of their accused son nor is their son explaining himself in any particular way. After days of minimal cooperation that offered no leads, he now has a public defender and has ceased communication with the authorities.
We watched tracking dogs head out over miles of trails Tuesday trying to pick up a scent. The rain came in the afternoon, increasing the difficulty of that job.
On Monday, helicopters, motorboats with sonar and foot patrols were part of the so-far fruitless search.
Hoffman seemed to be wearing a sleeveless shirt when he appeared for the bond hearing Tuesday. We asked the sheriff why.
"It's a suicide gown," Sheriff David Barber said. Hoffman has made comments to the jail staff and medical professionals indicating he may be a danger to himself.
Now Hoffman's on a suicide watch. Authorities don't want him to take what he may know to the grave.
