An Iowa teen is on trial for allegedly helping his friend kill his girlfriend — and then taking dozens of selfies wearing her glasses after she died.

Dakota Van Patten, 19, was arrested on Feb. 21, 2024 and charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of Melody Hoffman, 20, who was found dead three days earlier, according to an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

Prosecutors claim that Van Patten helped Hoffman’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, McKinley Louisma, plan and carry out her murder, CBS2 Iowa reports.

In Nov. 2024, Louisma was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in connection with Hoffman’s death. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Van Patten was allegedly a passenger in Louisma’s car when he picked up Hoffman at 11 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2024, according to the affidavit.

Louisma told authorities that he and Van Patten bound Hoffman’s wrists with duct tape when they were at Morgan Creek Park, before putting her in the trunk of his car and driving to Lily Lake in Iowa County, the affidavit alleges.

The two allegedly beat her while she begged for them to let her go, the affidavit says, before leaving her to die at the pond.

Louisma told police he had been in an “intimate relationship” with Hoffman as well as another woman at the time. according to the affidavit.

On Tuesday in court, Associate State Medical Examiner Dr. Kelly Kruse testified that the main cause of death for Hoffman was strangulation by something other than hands, CBS2 Iowa reports.

Rope found in Louisma’s car matches paracord found in Van Patten’s house that investigators believe was used to strangle Hoffman, prosecutors allege.

Kruse said Hoffman likely died within minutes of being strangled with a paracord, The Gazette reports.

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Hoffman also suffered blunt force injuries to her head, five stab wounds, serrated knife cuts, six cutting wounds to her right hand and various abrasions and bruises on her face, Kruse said, KCRG reports.

Kruse also said that Hoffman may have been pregnant when she was killed, as lab tests came back positive for hormones indicating pregnancy in her body, KCRG reports.

Investigators allegedly recovered evidence from Louisma’s car, including a pocketknife with blood stains on it, machetes, a rope, a roll of duct tape, pink HeyDude shoes, and a cut up pink shirt with duct tape wrapped around it, CBS2 Iowa reports.

Photos on Van Patten’s phone allegedly show him wearing what investigators believe are Hoffman’s glasses, which were found in his room, CBS2 Iowa reports.

A witness who saw Van Patten with a machete afterward asked who he killed and he said, “Melody,” the affidavit alleges.

A third suspect, Logan Kimpton, is charged with conspiracy and willful injury in connection with Hoffman’s death. His trial is expected to begin in November.

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