Virginia – A Virginia woman, 35-year-old CheIsea, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a vioIent crime. The plea comes in connection with the killing of 31-year-old Mathew in Ohio four years ago. According to the court documents, the defendant admitted to luring the victim, a former high school acquaintance, into the rural area and fatally shooting him in the back of the head.
The investigation into the 31-year-old man’s death was complex and multi-jurisdictional, involving several federal and local agencies. It began in March 2021, when witnesses found the victim’s body off-trail in the rural area. The remote and heavily wooded location initially complicated the recovery of physical evidence. However, the FBI and National Park Service Investigative Services Branch immediately launched a homicide investigation, supported by local authorities in Ohio.
The break in the case came through digital forensics. The victim’s phone, found near his body, contained recent messages and call logs that pointed to the 35-year-old woman. Investigators discovered that she had traveled from Virginia to Ohio shortly before the killing and had rented an apartment in the area. Surveillance footage from the apartment, along with security cameras from nearby businesses, confirmed her presence in Ohio during the relevant time frame.
GPS data from the defendant’s cell phone was particularly damning. Location records placed her near the crime scene at the time of the victim’s death. Ohio investigators were also able to trace her post-crime movements, which included a drive to Michigan, where she got a tattoo — a move prosecutors suggested may have been an attempt to create an alibi.
A search warrant executed at her Virginia residence uncovered three 9mm handguns. Ballistics testing revealed that one of these weapons matched the bullet recovered from the 31-year-old man’s body. DNA evidence, including blood traces and hair found on the defendant’s clothing and gear, further linked her to the crime.
Phone records, social media posts, and text message exchanges revealed additional planning. The defendant had messaged the victim suggesting they meet to “talk things out” and go for a walk in the park. She also made internet searches prior to the trip on topics like “killing someone in a national park” and “murder without getting caught.”
Investigators also reviewed the 2017 r-pe allegation the 35-year-old woman had made against the victim — which had not resulted in charges — as a possible motive. However, no direct evidence of retaliation was presented in the plea proceedings.
After months of forensic analysis and inter-agency cooperation, the defendant was arrested and indicted in 2023. She was held without bond while awaiting trial.
When first approached by investigators, the 35-year-old woman denied involvement. She claimed to have traveled to Ohio for a short vacation and insisted she had not seen the 31-year-old man. However, confronted with GPS data, ballistic matches, and cell phone records, she eventually stopped cooperating with law enforcement.
During later legal proceedings, the defendant admitted to arranging the meeting with the victim under false pretenses and carrying a loaded firerarm into the park. However, she did not offer a full confession until entering her guilty plea in 2025.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence of 20 to 25 years. As part of the deal, she waived her right to appeal.
The case gained further notoriety after the victim’s mother attempted to take justice into her own hands. In November 2021, she mistakenly shot another woman she believed to be the defendant, leading to her own tragic death by suicide. The 31-year-old man’s father was later sentenced for helping cover up the botched vigilante attack.