Chelsea Perkins, a former U.S. Coast Guard veteran who later worked in the adult entertainment industry, has been sentenced to 22.5 years in federal prison for the 2021 killing of Matthew Dunmire, according to U.S. Department of Justice records.
Perkins was sentenced in September 2025 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The crime took place at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, where prosecutors said Perkins lured Dunmire under the pretense of a consensual meeting before fatally shooting him. Because the killing occurred on federal land, the case was handled in federal court.
Authorities said the murder was premeditated and motivated by revenge. Perkins had previously accused Dunmire of sexually assaulting her in 2017, an allegation that did not result in criminal charges. Nearly four years later, investigators said, she reconnected with him, drove from Virginia to Ohio, and rented an Airbnb for their stay.
On March 6, 2021, Perkins drove Dunmire to a secluded area of the park’s Terra Vista Natural Study Area, where she shot him once in the back of the head. Prosecutors said she then attempted to stage the scene as a suicide by placing a gun near or in Dunmire’s hand. Hikers discovered his body three days later.
The investigation relied heavily on forensic and digital evidence. Ballistics testing linked the bullet to a 9mm handgun later recovered from Perkins’ Virginia home, where it was found alongside her identification and bearing her DNA. Phone location data, GPS records, surveillance footage, and license plate readers tracked her travel to and from the crime scene, contradicting the suicide narrative.
Following the killing, prosecutors said Perkins traveled to Michigan and got a tattoo of a noose. Investigators also recovered a deleted note on her phone that mimicked a suicide message written in Dunmire’s voice.
Originally charged with first-degree murder, Perkins faced a potential life sentence before agreeing to a plea deal in May 2025, days before her trial was set to begin. U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. sentenced her to 270 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Restitution to Dunmire’s family remains unresolved.
During sentencing, Perkins apologized and accepted responsibility for the killing. Dunmire’s father addressed the court, describing the lasting impact of his son’s death on the family, including Dunmire’s children.
The renewed attention has highlighted ongoing debates around vigilante justice and sexual violence. Research cited by legal experts shows significant public sympathy for acts of revenge against alleged abusers, even as courts continue to treat such actions as serious crimes.
As of early 2026, Perkins has not filed an appeal.
