Tommy Hoffman was the son of Dan and Kim Hoffman, and the stepson of Jill Hoffman. He witnessed his father kill his stepmother Jill.
History[]
His biological mother Kim was abused by his father Dan, forcing her to leave the family to escape his abuse. After his father remarried his stepmother Jill, Tommy was close to her and when she was also abused by his father, she took Tommy with her to get away from Dan. Tommy had his name changed so his father would not find them. Unfortunately, Dan tracked them and killed Jill while Tommy secretly watched devastated.
In Dan's murder trial, Tommy was nearly unable to testify against his father after Dan subtly urges his son not to, nearly causing him to back down. The judge allowed Tommy to step down. As he was being led by ADA Cabot past the defense table of his father to leave, Dan flashes his son a smile, but Tommy looks at his mother sitting nearby. Finding strength, Tommy quietly says to his father, "You killed Jill." Dan's attorney, Priscilla Chaney, immediately asked to move for a mistrial, as the judge calls for order in the court among the murmuring observers. However, Tommy told Cabot that he was ready to testify.
It is presumed that Tommy's testimony led to Dan being convicted and being sentenced to life imprisonment. Tommy was presumably placed in the custody of his mother again after the trial. (SVU: "Desperate")