WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN | COURTS & JUSTICE | November 5, 2026
Quick Take
- A 2012 Michigan murder case is going viral again, with posts sharing the 911 call a teenager made while his grandmother was shooting him.
- Sandra Layne, then 74, fired 10 shots at her 17-year-old grandson, Jonathan Hoffman, hitting him six times, including twice in the back.
- A jury rejected her self-defense claim, and she was sentenced to at least 22 years in prison.
What’s happening?
Courtroom clips and parts of Jonathan Hoffman’s 911 call are circulating on social media, with many viewers debating whether his grandmother was defending herself or committed murder. The case was settled in court more than a decade ago, but it continues to draw strong reactions online.
Layne was later featured on crime TV programs, which have helped keep the story in public view.
Where and when?
The shooting happened on May 18, 2012, inside the West Bloomfield Township condo Layne shared with her husband, Fred. Jonathan had moved from Arizona to live with his grandparents so he could finish his last year of high school, while his parents cared for his younger sister, who was being treated for a brain tumor.
Jonathan was on probation, and that day he tested positive for synthetic marijuana. That afternoon, Layne went to the upstairs loft with a Glock handgun she had bought a month earlier and opened fire. Jonathan called 911 and told the dispatcher his grandma had shot him and he was going to die. When police arrived, shots were still being fired. Officers said Layne told them she had murdered her grandson. Jonathan was found face down in gym shorts and socks and later died.
By the Numbers
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Shots fired | 10 |
| Times Jonathan was hit | 6 |
| Layne’s age at the shooting | 74 |
| Minimum prison sentence | 22 years |
What did the jury hear?
At trial in March 2013, Layne testified that Jonathan had demanded money and her car, kicked and hit her, and chased her through the condo. She said she fired out of fear. But prosecutors pointed out that a nurse found no injuries on her and that she never called 911 herself.
Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton called Jonathan’s 911 recording the most powerful evidence. Jurors heard a gap of about three minutes before more shots rang out, which undercut her claim of self-defense. On March 19, 2013, the jury convicted her of second-degree murder and a felony firearm charge.
Who feels it most?
The case tore the family apart. Jonathan’s mother, Jennifer Hoffman, is Layne’s own daughter. At sentencing, she asked the judge to show no mercy and called her mother pure evil. Jonathan’s father said in a letter that Layne came in gunning for his boy.
Layne apologized in court but blamed Jonathan’s parents for not taking him back to Arizona. She said his drug use had made him impossible for an elderly woman to manage.
What happened after the verdict?
On April 18, 2013, Oakland County Circuit Judge Denise Langford Morris went above sentencing guidelines and gave Layne 20 to 40 years for murder, plus two years for the gun charge. The judge asked her several times why she kept shooting. Layne later lost a bid to appeal her conviction.
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