A New Jersey mother-of-two with a 'heart of gold' has been fatally shot in the face by her weightlifter 'hulk' ex-husband, who also killed her dog before turning the gun on himself.
Kimberly Ann Hoffman, 49, was found dead just weeks before her 50th birthday at her home in Little Egg Harbor Township after she made a desperate 911 call to police.
Officers said her ex Carl Schulz Jr, 52, from the same east coast town, broke in to her apartment on Whitemarsh Court in the early hours of Saturday morning.
In what was perhaps a nod to his murderous intentions two days before, hobbyist weightlifter Schulz changed his Facebook profile picture to a sinister close-up of the Incredible Hulk's grimacing face.
A friend also described the bald, tattooed killer as 'a hulk' beneath a gym mirror selfie he shared several months earlier.
New Jersey mother-of-two Kimberly Hoffman, 49, was fatally shot in the face by her ex-husband Carl Schulz Jr, 52, who also shot dead her dog and turned the gun on himself
Schulz broke into Hoffman's apartment on Whitemarsh Court in Little Egg Harbor Township in the early hours of Saturday morning, prompting the mother-of-two to call 911
In what was perhaps a nod to his murderous intentions two days before, hobbyist weightlifter Schulz changed his Facebook profile picture to a sinister close-up of the Incredible Hulk
The murderous divorcee was still conscious when police arrived at the scene of the bloodbath on Saturday despite having shot himself in the head.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer confirmed he died a short time later in hospital.
Billhimer said Hoffman's final known act was making a terrified 911 call to officers at about 5.10am, saying she believed someone was breaking into her home.
'Responding Officers made forced entry into the apartment, where they located the deceased body of Ms. Hoffman with an apparent gunshot wound to the face,' he said in a statement.
'A deceased dog with apparent gunshot wounds was located in the apartment as well.
'Additionally, Officers discovered the body of Schulz with an apparent gunshot wound to his head.
'Schulz – who was conscious when police arrived – was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, where he later succumbed to his injuries.'
An investigation by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department concluded that Schulz shot Hoffman in the face before killing her dog and himself.
A motivation has not yet been established.
Hoffman was a 'dedicated mother' with a 'heart of gold' who 'poured her love into her two children', Alex and Andrew, devastated friends have said
Schulz also shot dead Hoffman's pet dog. Pictured: a photograph of a dog Hoffman shared to Facebook in 2015 which could have been the pet massacred by her murderous ex on Saturday
Schulz and Hoffman married in what friends described as a 'beautiful wedding' in April 2019, but they divorced some time later. He went on to kill her just over four years later
Hoffman, who worked as director of admissions at Seacrest Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, was described as a 'super driven career woman' with 'electric blue eyes and a radiant smile' by her close friend of 14 years, Wendy Ann.
A fundraiser established to support her family also said she was a 'dedicated mother' with a 'heart of gold' who 'poured her love into her two children', Alex and Andrew.
She married the man who would go on to murder her in April 2019 in what friends described as a 'beautiful wedding' beneath a photograph of the couple's first dance.
Writing a grief-stricken Facebook tribute to her friend, Wendy Ann said she first met Hoffman when their sons played basketball together more than a decade ago.
The devastated New Jersey mother-of-three said Hoffman had been her 'rock' ever since, describing their friendship as more like a 'sisterhood'.
Ann revealed that Hoffman's friends had been preparing to celebrate her 50th birthday with her just 'a couple of weeks' before she was murdered.
'To know this celebration will never come, to know she won’t get to be with her boys anymore, to know they have lost the absolute center of their world - their mom and their rock, and that all of us who love her so much will not have the gift of her presence anymore, and to know all of this was taken away because of someone else’s selfishness… it has me absolutely shaken to the core,' she said.
'I admired her so much for how gracefully she juggled being a mom, a friend, a coach, a super driven career woman, and a million other things that don’t even begin to fully describe who she was.'
Hoffman's friends had been preparing to celebrate her 50th birthday with her just 'a couple of weeks' before she was murdered, a close friend revealed in a grief-stricken tribute
Writing on the fundraising page, friends described Hoffman as a 'remarkable person' who 'touched the lives of many with her kindness, compassion and infectious smile' and who was a 'dedicated mother' to her two boys, Alex and Andrew
A fundraiser established for Hoffman's sons, who are recent university graduates, has already received more than $54,000 in the first 24 hours.
Writing on the fundraising page, friends described Hoffman as a 'remarkable person' who 'touched the lives of many with her kindness, compassion and infectious smile'.
'She had a heart of gold and was always there to lend a helping hand to those in need,' they said.
'As a dedicated mother, she poured her love into her two children, making sure they felt safe, loved, and cherished every day.'
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