She drove over 300 miles with a loaded gun. What happened next turned a meeting into murder.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, left Alexandria, Virginia, to meet 31-year-old Matthew Dunmire in Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park. On March 6, 2021, the pair visited Terra Vista Natural Study Area where Perkins fatally shot Dunmire in the back of the head.
Tracking the Fatal Encounter
Investigators tied Perkins to the shooting using GPS data, DNA evidence, phone records, social media, and ballistics analysis. The crime scene placed her at the exact spot where Dunmire was killed.
A federal search of Perkins’ Virginia home uncovered three 9mm pistols. One gun was found inside a woman’s purse containing Perkins’ ID—linking her directly to the weapon used in the shooting.
The Backstory Behind the Shooting
Perkins previously accused Dunmire of rape in 2017. That case never went to prosecution. Despite this, she arranged to meet him months later at a remote park location.
After the shooting, Perkins drove to Michigan to get a tattoo, as revealed by messages sent to her tattoo artist. Her background includes service as a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and work as an OnlyFans model under the name Sabrina Savage.
Legal Fallout and Sentencing
Perkins pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and using a firearm during a violent crime on federal property. She now faces 20 to 25 years in prison for the killing of Dunmire.
This case marks a rare example of a victim turning deadly force against an accused attacker far from their home state. The sentence will reflect both the murder and the firearm charge tied to federal land.