Last January, a retired priest and his sister were shot and killed at their Palm Bay residence. New details have now emerged in the case, alleging the gunman was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of the priest.
Father Robert Hoeffner and his sister, Sally Hoeffner, 69, were found deceased inside their residence on the evening of Jan. 28. Brandon Kapas, 24, was identified as the gunman, according to investigators.
Kapas Also Killed His Grandfather as He Tried to Intervene During Shootout with Officers
A few days prior, officers went to the suspect’s aunt and uncle’s home while responding to reports of a domestic disturbance. They said Kapas was armed and told police he had more weapons in his vehicle.
When Kapas refused to cooperate, gunfire broke out. Police said Kapas shot and severely injured two Palm Bay officers. His family said Kapas also shot and killed his 78-year-old grandfather, who was trying to intervene.
When investigators searched the car Kapas referenced, they linked it to the priest. It was only when officers went to Father Hoeffner’s home that they found he and his sister had been killed.
Handwritten Notes Depicting Sexual Abuse of a Child’ Found inside Priest’s Office
WESH 2 obtained a new 78-page supplemental report that lays out claims from the family and explains what police discovered.
The report also said that when investigators arrived at the crime scene, they found “several handwritten notes on lined paper depicting sexual abuse of a child” inside the priest’s office. However, it does not say who wrote the notes.
Kapas’ aunt told investigators, “Brandon [Kapas] never confided in her, but she firmly believed sexual abuse was happening to Brandon by Father Bob,” according to the report given to WESH 2 by the Palm Bay Police Department.
Kapas Spent a Lot of Time at Hoeffner’s Home, Hoeffner Also Bought Kapas a Vehicle, Shared Bank Account with Him
Kapas and Hoeffner first met when the priest worked at Kapas’ Catholic school, and neighbors reported seeing Kapas at Hoeffner’s home on a weekly basis. Kapas’ family was unaware of any allegations of abuse but noted that Hoeffner’s relationship with him seemed unusual, with the priest reportedly buying him a vehicle and sharing a bank account.
Police say Kapas texted Hoeffner the night before the shooting, warning him with cryptic messages such as, “You have woken up all of Egypt… Ancient ones know what you have done.”
A former classmate told Fox 35 Orlando that Hoeffner had inappropriately touched him in the past, though he did not know if Kapas was also a victim.
The Diocese of Orlando issued the following statement to the outlet: “We continue to mourn with the Palm Bay community for the loss of these four lives and the officers who were wounded. We pray for all involved. We will not speculate about the motivation of the tragic events that occurred one year ago.”
