Topline: A Virginia woman received a 22.5 year federal prison sentence for the murder of a man she had accused of raping her years prior.
Published: September 22, 2025 9:30 pm ET
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Left: Chelsea Perkins (mugshot via Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office) Right: Matthew Dunmire (via Claytor Rollins Funeral Home)
CLEVELAND, OH — An Alexandria, Virginia woman who fatally shot a man she accused of rape in 2021 was sentenced to 22.5 years in federal prison.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, a former OnlyFans model and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Matthew Dunmire. The plea agreement also included a charge of using a firearm in a crime on federal property, specifically Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Prosecutors told Cleveland19 News that the crime was a “coldly, calculated intention to cause his death.”
The slaying came to authorities’ attention on March 9, 2021, when hikers found a body in the woods. Investigators identified the victim as Dunmire, a 31-year-old aspiring musician. He had been shot once in the back of the head.
Four days before Dunmire’s body was found, he told coworkers at a bar that he planned to meet a woman he met online. Perkins drove 300 miles from Virginia to Ohio to see Dunmire. When the woman arrived, Dunmire texted his coworkers “she’s here.”
According to cleveland.com, Perkins had accused Dunmire of raping her in 2017. No criminal charges were ever filed against Dunmire for the alleged rape.
Perkins picked up Dunmire and they spent the night at an Airbnb she rented. The next morning, she drove Dunmire to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Under the pretense of shooting a pornographic film for her OnlyFans account, the two hiked deep into the woods.
Perkins then shot and killed Dunmire. She fled the scene, drove to Michigan, and got a tattoo of a noose with the words “Tighten Up” on her forearm.
After posting a photo with the caption “What a great weekend!” from the tattoo parlor, she returned to her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, an active-duty Coast Guard member, and their two children.
Investigators linked Perkins to the crime through surveillance footage, text messages, and ballistic evidence.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, federal agents searched Perkins’ Virginia home, where they found three 9mm pistols. Forensic testing later confirmed Perkins’ DNA on one of the firearms, which was located in her purse alongside her photo identification.
Investigators also discovered a deleted note on Perkins’ cellphone that appeared to be a fake suicide note from Dunmire, written around the time his body was found.
Scott Zarzycki, an assistant U.S. attorney, argued that Perkins killed out of revenge. He pointed to her 2017 rape report that led to no charges being filed.
Zarzycki told the court that Perkins carried a loaded gun into the park and took steps to cover up the crime, including taking the victim’s cellphone. “She shot him squarely in the back of the head,” Zarzycki said. “One perfectly placed shot. That’s evidence of an execution.”
Perkins’ attorneys, Alvaro DeCola and Stephen Newman, argued that a “tortured upbringing and adulthood” caused Perkins to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They claimed this gave her a heightened sense of danger, which led to the shooting.
Her attorneys claimed she stopped in Cleveland to get closure with Dunmire about their complicated relationship and a rape accusation. They argued she never intended to kill him, and carried the gun because her husband wanted her to have it while she traveled.
DeCola said when they discussed the rape, tensions rose, triggering Perkins’ PTSD. She then pulled out her gun and shot him. “The facts most align with this being an impulsive, trauma-triggered act, rather than premeditation,” DeCola said.
At the sentencing, Perkins apologized to Dunmire’s family, telling the court, “I take full responsibility for what I’ve done.” She also said, “I wish I would have handled things differently, and two lives wouldn’t have ended the way they did.”
Dunmire’s father, John McQuillen, told the court that the killing “devastated” his family. He said he lost two people he loved to the act and asked for the maximum sentence.
The father explained that after her son’s death, Dunmire’s mother, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shot and wounded a woman in Washington, D.C., whom she wrongly believed killed her son. Tommie Lynn Dunmire then took her own life after police stopped her car.
McQuillen, who later received a sentence of three years and six months for driving his longtime partner to and from the shooting, said, “This whole thing has been devastating to myself and my family. I lost two people I loved very much to this heinous act.”
Perkins was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after her prison term. Restitution will be determined later.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Ex-OnlyFans Model Sentenced for Murdering Accused Rapist
A Virginia woman received a 22.5 year federal prison sentence for the murder of a man she had accused of raping her years prior.
By Kate Byrd
Published: September 22, 2025 9:30 pm ET
Left: Chelsea Perkins (mugshot via Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office) Right: Matthew Dunmire (via Claytor Rollins Funeral Home)
CLEVELAND, OH — An Alexandria, Virginia woman who fatally shot a man she accused of rape in 2021 was sentenced to 22.5 years in federal prison.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, a former OnlyFans model and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Matthew Dunmire. The plea agreement also included a charge of using a firearm in a crime on federal property, specifically Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Prosecutors told Cleveland19 News that the crime was a “coldly, calculated intention to cause his death.”
The slaying came to authorities’ attention on March 9, 2021, when hikers found a body in the woods. Investigators identified the victim as Dunmire, a 31-year-old aspiring musician. He had been shot once in the back of the head.
Four days before Dunmire’s body was found, he told coworkers at a bar that he planned to meet a woman he met online. Perkins drove 300 miles from Virginia to Ohio to see Dunmire. When the woman arrived, Dunmire texted his coworkers “she’s here.”
According to cleveland.com, Perkins had accused Dunmire of raping her in 2017. No criminal charges were ever filed against Dunmire for the alleged rape.
Perkins picked up Dunmire and they spent the night at an Airbnb she rented. The next morning, she drove Dunmire to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Under the pretense of shooting a pornographic film for her OnlyFans account, the two hiked deep into the woods.
Perkins then shot and killed Dunmire. She fled the scene, drove to Michigan, and got a tattoo of a noose with the words “Tighten Up” on her forearm.
After posting a photo with the caption “What a great weekend!” from the tattoo parlor, she returned to her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, an active-duty Coast Guard member, and their two children.
Investigators linked Perkins to the crime through surveillance footage, text messages, and ballistic evidence.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, federal agents searched Perkins’ Virginia home, where they found three 9mm pistols. Forensic testing later confirmed Perkins’ DNA on one of the firearms, which was located in her purse alongside her photo identification.
Investigators also discovered a deleted note on Perkins’ cellphone that appeared to be a fake suicide note from Dunmire, written around the time his body was found.
Scott Zarzycki, an assistant U.S. attorney, argued that Perkins killed out of revenge. He pointed to her 2017 rape report that led to no charges being filed.
Zarzycki told the court that Perkins carried a loaded gun into the park and took steps to cover up the crime, including taking the victim’s cellphone. “She shot him squarely in the back of the head,” Zarzycki said. “One perfectly placed shot. That’s evidence of an execution.”
Perkins’ attorneys, Alvaro DeCola and Stephen Newman, argued that a “tortured upbringing and adulthood” caused Perkins to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They claimed this gave her a heightened sense of danger, which led to the shooting.
Her attorneys claimed she stopped in Cleveland to get closure with Dunmire about their complicated relationship and a rape accusation. They argued she never intended to kill him, and carried the gun because her husband wanted her to have it while she traveled.
DeCola said when they discussed the rape, tensions rose, triggering Perkins’ PTSD. She then pulled out her gun and shot him. “The facts most align with this being an impulsive, trauma-triggered act, rather than premeditation,” DeCola said.
At the sentencing, Perkins apologized to Dunmire’s family, telling the court, “I take full responsibility for what I’ve done.” She also said, “I wish I would have handled things differently, and two lives wouldn’t have ended the way they did.”
Dunmire’s father, John McQuillen, told the court that the killing “devastated” his family. He said he lost two people he loved to the act and asked for the maximum sentence.
The father explained that after her son’s death, Dunmire’s mother, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shot and wounded a woman in Washington, D.C., whom she wrongly believed killed her son. Tommie Lynn Dunmire then took her own life after police stopped her car.
McQuillen, who later received a sentence of three years and six months for driving his longtime partner to and from the shooting, said, “This whole thing has been devastating to myself and my family. I lost two people I loved very much to this heinous act.”
Perkins was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after her prison term. Restitution will be determined later.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Ex-OnlyFans Model Sentenced for Murdering Accused Rapist
A Virginia woman received a 22.5 year federal prison sentence for the murder of a man she had accused of raping her years prior.
By Kate Byrd
Published: September 22, 2025 9:30 pm ET
Left: Chelsea Perkins (mugshot via Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office) Right: Matthew Dunmire (via Claytor Rollins Funeral Home)
CLEVELAND, OH — An Alexandria, Virginia woman who fatally shot a man she accused of rape in 2021 was sentenced to 22.5 years in federal prison.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, a former OnlyFans model and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Matthew Dunmire. The plea agreement also included a charge of using a firearm in a crime on federal property, specifically Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Prosecutors told Cleveland19 News that the crime was a “coldly, calculated intention to cause his death.”
The slaying came to authorities’ attention on March 9, 2021, when hikers found a body in the woods. Investigators identified the victim as Dunmire, a 31-year-old aspiring musician. He had been shot once in the back of the head.
Four days before Dunmire’s body was found, he told coworkers at a bar that he planned to meet a woman he met online. Perkins drove 300 miles from Virginia to Ohio to see Dunmire. When the woman arrived, Dunmire texted his coworkers “she’s here.”
According to cleveland.com, Perkins had accused Dunmire of raping her in 2017. No criminal charges were ever filed against Dunmire for the alleged rape.
Perkins picked up Dunmire and they spent the night at an Airbnb she rented. The next morning, she drove Dunmire to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Under the pretense of shooting a pornographic film for her OnlyFans account, the two hiked deep into the woods.
Perkins then shot and killed Dunmire. She fled the scene, drove to Michigan, and got a tattoo of a noose with the words “Tighten Up” on her forearm.
After posting a photo with the caption “What a great weekend!” from the tattoo parlor, she returned to her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, an active-duty Coast Guard member, and their two children.
Investigators linked Perkins to the crime through surveillance footage, text messages, and ballistic evidence.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, federal agents searched Perkins’ Virginia home, where they found three 9mm pistols. Forensic testing later confirmed Perkins’ DNA on one of the firearms, which was located in her purse alongside her photo identification.
Investigators also discovered a deleted note on Perkins’ cellphone that appeared to be a fake suicide note from Dunmire, written around the time his body was found.
Scott Zarzycki, an assistant U.S. attorney, argued that Perkins killed out of revenge. He pointed to her 2017 rape report that led to no charges being filed.
Zarzycki told the court that Perkins carried a loaded gun into the park and took steps to cover up the crime, including taking the victim’s cellphone. “She shot him squarely in the back of the head,” Zarzycki said. “One perfectly placed shot. That’s evidence of an execution.”
Perkins’ attorneys, Alvaro DeCola and Stephen Newman, argued that a “tortured upbringing and adulthood” caused Perkins to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They claimed this gave her a heightened sense of danger, which led to the shooting.
Her attorneys claimed she stopped in Cleveland to get closure with Dunmire about their complicated relationship and a rape accusation. They argued she never intended to kill him, and carried the gun because her husband wanted her to have it while she traveled.
DeCola said when they discussed the rape, tensions rose, triggering Perkins’ PTSD. She then pulled out her gun and shot him. “The facts most align with this being an impulsive, trauma-triggered act, rather than premeditation,” DeCola said.
At the sentencing, Perkins apologized to Dunmire’s family, telling the court, “I take full responsibility for what I’ve done.” She also said, “I wish I would have handled things differently, and two lives wouldn’t have ended the way they did.”
Dunmire’s father, John McQuillen, told the court that the killing “devastated” his family. He said he lost two people he loved to the act and asked for the maximum sentence.
The father explained that after her son’s death, Dunmire’s mother, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shot and wounded a woman in Washington, D.C., whom she wrongly believed killed her son. Tommie Lynn Dunmire then took her own life after police stopped her car.
McQuillen, who later received a sentence of three years and six months for driving his longtime partner to and from the shooting, said, “This whole thing has been devastating to myself and my family. I lost two people I loved very much to this heinous act.”
Perkins was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after her prison term. Restitution will be determined later.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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