Kinnelon slay suspect called 911 to report dad's killing

An 18-year-old high school student who is charged with fatally shooting his father Sunday at their Kinnelon home called a police dispatcher to report doing "something bad" and then waited in his car for authorities to arrest him, a Morris County assistant prosecutor said Wednesday.

At the request of Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo, state Superior Court Judge James DeMarzo, sitting in Morristown, maintained bail for Travis J. Hofstetter at $750,000 but told him that a public defender who will be assigned to represent him is welcome to file a motion for a bail reduction.

DiGiacomo said Hofstetter attends classes at both Kinnelon High School and Morris County School of Technology.

Hofstetter was charged Monday with using a British Enfield .303 rifle to shoot his father, James Hofstetter, 57, multiple times on Sunday at the Wedgewood Drive home that they shared with James Hofstetter's wife and Travis Hofstetter's twin brother.

The victim owned a construction company and was a contract employee in Pequannock's code enforcement office. Travis Hofstetter is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Hofstetter was brought before DeMarzo for the bail review, which normally are conducted via a television link between the county jail and courtroom. But Hofstetter had an unrelated Family Court hearing on Wednesday at which he was scheduled to appear for a hearing on whether a domestic violence restraining order should be made permanent.

DiGiacomo said the party in the Family Court matter is not a family member to Hofstetter.

A cousin of the suspect, who identified himself as Jeremy Hawkes, 40, of Morris Plains, was present for the bail review and tried to get Hofstetter's attention, but the defendant glanced at him once and wouldn't acknowledge him.

After the hearing, Hawkes said the victim was "very loved." Hawkes said he served a "parental" role in his cousin's life because he is 22 years older, and that family members are struggling to understand what happened.

"He murdered a huge part of our family," Hawkes told the Daily Record. "The wound is fresh. We don't know why he would go to these extremes. I'm fueled with anger right now about it."

DiGiacomo told the judge that around 4:15 p.m. Sunday, police received an emergency call directing them to the home in Kinnelon. At virtually the same time, Travis Hofstetter made a 911 call to Hardyston police, telling the dispatcher a few times, "I did something bad."

"He then stated to the dispatcher 'I murdered my father,'" DiGiacomo told DeMarzo.

Hofstetter directed police to his whereabouts, his Chevrolet Equinox vehicle, and they found him as he stated — near the Skylands Ice World on Route 23 in the Stockholm section of Hardyston.

DiGiacomo said police found the victim at the home and the Enfield rifle inside the residence. Police found spent shell casings at the scene along with a live .303 round in Hofstetter's car, the assistant prosecutor said.

Agreeing to maintain bail at $750,000, the judge advised Hofstetter of his legal rights but cautioned against talking about the case except to his lawyer.

Dressed in an orange jacket and a yellow jumpsuit issued by the Morris County Jail, Hofstetter politely answered questions from the judge, stating he is in school and doesn't have a job.

When the judge asked if he has lived elsewhere, Hofstetter said he was born in Florida, where he was adopted as a newborn. He told the judge that he was in touch at one time with his biological mother and some siblings.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com.