Suspect In Boston Sci Murder Case Still a Fugitive

The former business and romantic partner of a Boston Scientific executive fatally shot at a gas station August 11 is now suspected of bank robbery as well as murder. Police searched the Anoka County (MN) Airport Tuesday after a report that Lyle "Ty" Marvin Hoffman had been sighted there, according to reports by Twin Cities media outlets.As of Thursday evening, Hoffman remains on the loose, and is considered armed and dangerous. The Ramsey County (MN) Sheriff's Office is seeking him as a suspect in the shooting death of Kelly L. Phillips, 48, general counsel and vice president for Worldwide Businesses at Boston Scientific in Minneapolis. His office is just a few miles from the suburban gas station where he pleaded for his life while being shot. Hoffman was charged via a court-issued arrest warrant with second-degree intentional murder. He is also a suspect in Sunday's armed robbery of a bank in Blaine, MN, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.Blaine police believe Hoffman walked into a TCF Bank at 2:01 p.m., brandished a handgun and left with an undisclosed amount of money, the newspaper said.On Monday, surveillance video of a bearded robber drew police back to Hoffman's last known locations, the Anoka County-Blaine Airport and other parts of the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area, the newspaper said.Police found a car linked to Phillips' shooting parked near the airport in August. Phillips and Hoffman, 44, founded a Minneapolis a gay bar together in 2009, and Hoffman had lived in a building Phillips owned across the street from the bar, but both relationships soured and Phillips evicted Hoffman a few months ago. Phillips was active in Boston Scientific employees' group that promoted equality. He had fought for marriage equality for gays, and was to wed another man on August 30. Instead, that day was marked by a memorial service for Phillips. Hundreds attended the service at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, included elected and corporate leaders, the newspaper said. Phillips wa buried in his hometown of Mason City, IA.

Nancy Crotti is a contributor to Qmed and MPMN.

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