He Thought He Was Spending the Night with a Woman He Met Online — Then She Lured Him to the Woods and Fatally Shot Him

An OnlyFans model and former adult film actress was sentenced to federal prison after killing a man she claimed had raped her. Chelsea Perkins, 35, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran from Alexandria, Virginia, shot Matthew Dunmire, 31, in the back of the head in the Ohio woods.

Perkins was sentenced to 22½ years in federal prison for the murder, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

In May, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and using a firearm during a violent crime on federal property, in connection to Dunmire’s death in March 2021. She originally faced up to 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors said during the hearing, “[It] was a coldly, calculated intention to cause his death,” according to Cleveland19 News.

The case came to light on March 9, 2021, when hikers in Cuyahoga Valley National Park found Dunmire’s body. He had been shot once in the back of the head. Authorities quickly identified him as an aspiring musician who grew up in Virginia and later moved to Cleveland, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Investigators learned that four days before the killing, Dunmire told co-workers at a bar that he was going to meet a woman he met online who was visiting the area, according to the criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE. When she arrived, she sent him a text, prompting Dunmire to tell his coworkers, “she’s here.”

Perkins had driven her husband’s Smart car 300 miles from Virginia to Ohio to see him. She had previously accused Dunmire of raping her about four years earlier, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

After spending the night at an Airbnb she rented, Perkins drove Dunmire to Cuyahoga Valley National Park on the morning of March 6. “They hiked past a cemetery, across deep ravines, and off-trail into a wooded area,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s statement.

In the woods, Perkins shot Dunmire in the back of the head. She then drove to Michigan to get a tattoo of a noose on her forearm before returning to Virginia.

Investigators connected Perkins to the crime using surveillance footage, text messages, and ballistic evidence. A search of her Virginia home found three 9mm pistols, including one in a purse with her photo ID. The firearm tested positive for her DNA.

Perkins also attempted to cover up the crime. Authorities found a deleted note on her phone that appeared to be a fake suicide note from Dunmire written around the time his body was discovered.

In court, Perkins apologized to Dunmire’s family, saying, “I take full responsibility for what I’ve done,” according to Cleveland19 News. Dunmire had been accused of raping her, but no charges were ever filed, according to Cleveland19 News.

Matthew Dunmire’s father spoke in court, saying, “My son was a good person too and now his children have no father,” according to Cleveland19 News.

In addition to her prison sentence, Perkins will serve five years of supervised release after her release. Restitution will be determined later.