A New Mexico teacher who claimed she found her husband dead inside their home has been charged with his murder.
Heather Fernandez-Hoefer, 51, was arrested on April 1 in connection to the death of her husband Robert Hoefer, 49, in 2020.
The third-grade teacher at McCormick Elementary School has been charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, according to the Farmingdale Police Department (FPD).
On November 29, 2020, Fernandez-Hoefer called 911 in a panic, claiming she found her husband stabbed to death in their Ivy City house
Police arrived at a gory scene – Hoefer was bloodied by three apparent stab wounds, according to the FPD.
Authorities started raising red flags about Fernandez-Hoefer when she allegedly started telling them conflicting versions of what happened to her husband.
The affidavit, obtained by KRQE, stated her ‘inconsistent and unlikely statements are signs of deception.’
One of her retellings of the event was repeated more than the others, according to police.
Robert Hoefer, 49, died on November 29, 2020. He was found by police with three deep stab wounds to his chest
Fernandez-Hoefer allegedly told authorities conflicting versions of what had happened to her husband
Heather Fernandez-Hoefer, 51, was arrested on April 1 and charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence
In this version of what unfolded, she said Hoefer had stabbed himself while he was alone in their computer room.
When she discovered his injuries, she claimed she helped clean his chest before the two went to sleep in different rooms.
Later on, Fernandez-Hoefer alleged she found her husband face-down on the floor of their bedroom.
But evidence collected from the investigation points to possible holes in Fernandez-Hoefer’s story.
Most of the blood from the death was on the couple’s bed, not on the floor, according to the affidavit.
Hoefer’s three stab wounds to his chest were so deep that they punctured his lungs and sliced his coronary artery. These severe injuries would have killed him in just minutes.
Text messages between the husband and wife revealed they were arguing about money and previous romantic partners before Hoefer died.
A neighbor also told police he heard them screaming at each other the night of the incident, KRQUE reported.
Based on what the ongoing investigation has revealed so far, Fernandez-Hoefer was taken into custody at the Juan County Adult Detention Center.
Hoefer and his wife met in September 2019 and got married about a year later, just two months before he died
Hoefer served nine years in the Navy as a nuclear reactor operator, according to his obituary
Fernandez-Hoefer was a third-grade teacher at McCormick Elementary School. The school district said she has been put on leave
But she was bailed out of jail a day later on April 2, Law & Crime reported.
After her arrest, the school district confirmed with KRQE she was put on administrative leave.
Hoefer served nine years in the Navy as a nuclear reactor operator, according to his obituary.
He and his wife met in September 2019 and got married about a year later, just two months before he died.
‘Robert was so very proud of his wife Heather, a 3rd grade teacher, and of becoming a stepdad,’ the tribute reads.
‘He was a person of high integrity with a great expectation of others for the same.’
Inspired by his wife’s profession, Hoefer’s goal before he died was to become a history teacher.
‘He was extremely gifted in his knowledge of world history and of many things in general,’ according to his obituary.
