Hoffman was found not guilty by reason of insanity on non-capital murder charges in February 1968. During the trial Crown prosecutor Serge Kujawa called Hoffman "the craziest man in Saskatchewan." He was put under the custody of the provincial Health Ministry and sent to a mental institution. He remained most of the time in an Ontario-based institution until December 2001, when he was granted supervised access to the towns of Penetanguishene, Port McNicoll and Midland in Ontario. This decision was not without controversy since the hospital was only required to inform the local police of Hoffman's release.