FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2017
PRESS RELEASE
Jury Finds Lloyd Harris Guilty of First Degree Murder
FREDERICK – A Frederick County Jury returned a guilty verdict against Lloyd A. Harris, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri for First Degree Murder, First Degree Rape, First Degree Felony Murder, and Third Degree Sex Offense in the 1996 homicide of 15 year old Stacy Lynn Hoffmaster.
On October 1, 1996 Stacy Hoffmaster disappeared and was reported missing. On December 23, 1996 a body was discovered in a wooded area to the rear of the Southern States store located on East South Street. The body had been tied up and covered with a blanket and was later identified as Stacy Hoffmaster. On January 22, 2016, Lloyd A. Harris was extradited on an indictment for First Degree Murder, First Degree Rape, and Third Degree Sex Offense.
The trial began October 23, 2017 with closing arguments taking place today. The jury deliberated for approximately 3 hours before returning a guilty verdict on all counts. “This is the most meaningful verdict we have had in over a decade,” commented Frederick County State’s Attorney Charlie Smith. “Deputy State’s Attorney Nanci Hamm, and Assistant State’s Attorneys Colleen Swanson and Mike Moore did an outstanding job at trial. But if it were not for the relentless efforts of Detectives Kornacki and Hutchison and the Frederick Police Department, this verdict would have never come to be,” stated Smith.
“The Frederick Police Department would like to thank the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their hard work and commitment during the successful prosecution of this case. This conviction is a long time coming and it is because of the cooperation and teamwork that our detectives and officers share with the prosecutors of the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office on a daily basis. Through Detectives Garcia and Forrest tenacity and dedication, they were able to carry on with the initial criminal investigation and bring this matter to closure with justice being served to Stacy’s family”.
The Honorable William R. Nicklas, Jr. ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for December 7, 2017.
The State was represented by Deputy State’s Attorney Nanci Hamm, Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen Swanson and Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Moore.
J. Charles Smith, III
State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland