David Francis Hoffman (born 1946)[1] is an American criminal known for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his wife, Carol Stebbins, in 1980. The murder occurred after the relationship between the married couple began to deteriorate and the introduction of Hoffman's mother, Helen Ulvinen, into their home. Hoffman was found guilty of murder by the first degree under the pre-1990 Minnesota law, and given a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 17 years.[2] Hoffman's mother was also found guilty of the same crime but the decision was overturned a year later in the Minnesota Supreme Court[3]