An OnlyFans model and former adult film actress who once served in the U.S. Coast Guard has been sentenced for murdering a man she accused of sexually assaulting her. Chelsea Perkins, 35, from Alexandria, Virginia, will spend 22 and a half years in federal prison for the shooting death of Matthew Dunmire, 31, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. In May, Perkins pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She also pleaded guilty to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence that took place on federal property.
Prosecutors said the crime showed a “coldly, calculated intention to cause his death.” Initially, Perkins faced up to 25 years behind bars.
The killing was discovered on March 9, 2021, when hikers found a body in the woods of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The victim was identified as Dunmire, an aspiring musician who grew up in Virginia before moving to Cleveland. He had been shot once in the back of the head. As the investigation began, the focus was quickly on a woman he had mentioned days earlier.
Authorities said Dunmire told his co-workers on March 5, during a night out at a bar, that he was planning to meet a woman he connected with online. When she arrived, Dunmire received a text message. He told his co-workers, “she’s here,” according to the criminal complaint. It would be the last time they saw him alive.
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Dunmire had no idea that Perkins had made a 300-mile trip from Virginia in her husband’s Smart car to meet him. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that she had accused Dunmire of sexually assaulting her years earlier, though he was never charged. The two met up and stayed overnight at an Airbnb that Perkins rented.
The next morning, March 6, Perkins drove him to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Valley View, Ohio. According to prosecutors, “They hiked past a cemetery, across deep ravines, and off-trail into a wooded area.” When they were far from public view, Perkins pulled out a gun and shot Dunmire from behind.
After leaving the scene, she traveled to Michigan. There, she got a tattoo of a noose on her forearm before returning to Virginia. Investigators later pieced together her movements using surveillance footage, cellphone messages, and ballistic testing.
A search warrant was carried out at Perkins’ home in Virginia. Agents found three 9mm pistols. One of the handguns, located in her purse, contained her photo ID as well. That weapon tested positive for her DNA and later was determined to be the murder weapon.
Prosecutors also said Perkins tried to manipulate evidence. On her cellphone, investigators discovered a deleted message that had been written to resemble a suicide note from Dunmire. Authorities believe it was an attempt to cover up the homicide.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, previously pleaded guilty to shooting and killing Matthew Dunmire at the Terra Vista Natural Study Area in Valley View. https://t.co/JOp3IzOXih
— WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) September 10, 2025
In court, Perkins addressed the victim’s family. She told them, “I take full responsibility for what I’ve done.” She expressed regret but offered little explanation for the crime beyond her earlier allegations.
Members of Dunmire’s family also spoke. His father told the courtroom, “My son was a good person too and now his children have no father.”
Along with her 22-and-a-half-year sentence, Perkins will serve five years of supervised release after completing her prison term. The date of restitution is not currently known.
