Friends Of Kelly Phillips Make Plea To Find His Killer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office issued a new wanted poster last week for the man accused of killing his ex-boyfriend at a gas station.

The new poster shows three pictures of Ty Hoffman, and includes both a description and a note about the $10,000 reward being offered by Crime Stoppers. Hoffman is accused of killing Kelly Phillips at an Arden Hills gas station on Aug. 11th, and has been on the run ever since.

Friends of Kelly Phillips helped raise the money to increase the reward. Two of those friends, Jason Tober and Erick Lucken, joined Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning to talk about the reward and search for Hoffman.

"We were shocked and frustrated that a week had passed and no arrest had been made in the case," Lucken said. "Tomorrow morning at 8:40, it will be a full two weeks since Kelly was murdered in broad daylight during rush hour in a heavily populated area. The police know exactly who they're looking for and yet no arrests have been made."

Lucken said the fund to help increased the reward to find Hoffman is a way to move forward.

Tober said to him and his wife, Phillips was a dear friend who was usually the first person at the hospital after their children were born and an honorary uncle.

"He lived a life of somebody that did well. He did good, and he made a difference," Tober said.

Lucken said close friends of Phillips are still struggling with the fact that Hoffman, an ex-boyfriend of Phillips, is accused in the murder.

"It's a horrible thing to lose a friend this way, but to also know the person who is suspected of doing it – I don't think there's a playbook that addresses how to deal with that," Lucken said.

Authorities suspect Hoffman is getting help in evading authorities.

"The appeal I would make would be to the broader public. People don't disappear in thin air, this execution happened at 8:40 in the morning along a busy interstate at a busy location. The car has been recovered, somebody knows something," Tober said. "Our appeal is for people to be active, to be aware and to help."