( CNN ) -- An Ohio man pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to life without parole for killing and dismembering a woman , her son and her friend and hiding their bagged remains in the hollow of a tree . Matthew Hoffman , 30 , pleaded guilty to all 10 counts , including three counts of aggravated murder and the kidnapping of one of the victim 's 13-year-old relatives , in Knox County , Ohio , in November . According to his attorney , Hoffman said he committed the crimes after encountering Tina R. Herrmann when he entered the house during a burglary attempt . But the sister of Stephanie Sprang , one of the other victims , said there was no excuse for him killing Herrmann and waiting for the other victims to come to the house . `` Death is too easy for him and we would rather pay tax dollars and let him suffer and live and deal with what he did every day , '' Sherrie Baxter told CNN affiliate WSYX . The remains of Herrmann , 31 , her son , Kody , and Stephanie Sprang , 41 , were found November 18 in a rural area after they had been missing 10 days from Herrmann 's home . Autopsy results indicated they had been stabbed to death and dismembered . Hoffman , who worked as a tree trimmer , was indicted Monday and the plea and sentencing agreement were detailed during a hearing Thursday . `` The indictment alleges that Hoffman purposely caused the deaths of Tina R. Herrmann , Ms. Herrmann 's son Kody Maynard , age 11 , and her neighbor Stephanie L. Sprang , on November 10 , 2010 , '' prosecutors said about the indictment . `` The aggravated murder charges further allege that Hoffman murdered the victims while he was committing the offense of aggravated burglary in Herrmann 's residence . '' The indictment did not include death penalty specifications , authorities said , `` in accordance with the wishes of the victim 's families . '' CNN left a message for Hoffman 's attorney , Bruce Malek , who told WSYX that Hoffman had remorse for what he did and felt it was important for the victims ' remains to be found . Police previously had said Hoffman provided information leading to the recovery of the remains . The 13-year-old girl was found bound and gagged in the basement of Hoffman 's home in Mount Vernon , Ohio , about 20 miles from Herrmann 's home in Howard , Ohio . Hoffman was charged with one count of rape for allegedly assaulting the girl , prosecutors said . Besides the aggravated murder , aggravated burglary , kidnapping and rape charges , Hoffman faced a charge of tampering with evidence for allegedly removing some clothing and bedding from Herrmann 's residence in order to hinder the investigation , authorities said . He also pleaded guilty to three counts of abuse of a corpse . Prosecutors those charges were filed because `` the victims ' remains were not intact when recovered by authorities in a hollow tree '' in Kokosing Lake State Wildlife Area . According to the Columbus Dispatch , in a statement read by Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher , the girl said : `` This has changed my whole life and my family 's life , too . '' In the statement , the teen related memories of the victims and said she 's no longer frightened of Hoffman . `` This is so sickening , Matthew , to know you even had the guts to do this to a family , '' she said in the statement . Herrmann failed to report to work at a Dairy Queen in Mount Vernon on November 10 , Knox County Sheriff David Barber told CNN affiliate WBNS . A deputy twice went to her home and saw her pickup truck there . No one answered the door , though lights were on in the home . Later in the week , blood was found in the home , leading authorities to suspect foul play . Sprang 's father , Steve Thompson , said he was satisfied with the sentence . `` They are many answers that I still need , '' he told WSYX . `` I am confident and sure we will find them later on down the road . ''
Steven Johnson enters guilty plea in the killings . He admitted to killing two adults and an 11-year - old boy . Defendant said he entered home to commit theft . He also kidnapped a year - old girl from the home .