CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) — A convicted killer and former porn actress has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the family of a man she murdered in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but she is challenging the payment.
Chelsea Perkins was directed by a federal judge to provide restitution to the estate and family of Matthew Dunmire, whom she killed in March 2021.
The restitution hearing took place behind closed doors, and court officials have not publicly released the judge’s ruling. However, 19 Investigates reviewed court records that provide additional details.
The Murder Case
Matthew Dunmire, a 31-year-old aspiring musician and father, was killed in what prosecutors described as a “revenge killing.” Perkins later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a gun charge, admitting responsibility for his death.
Perkins, a mother and military veteran who also ran an OnlyFans account, attributed the killing to PTSD from previous sexual assaults. She and Dunmire had known each other before, and Perkins had previously accused him of rape, though no charges were filed.
In 2021, Perkins traveled from Virginia to meet Dunmire. Investigators determined the two spent the night together at a Cleveland Airbnb before she shot him in the head and left him near a cemetery in Valley View within Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
“If you ever met him, you couldn’t even imagine this kid harming a flea, let alone anyone else,” said Dan Dunmire, Matthew’s uncle, earlier this year.
Restitution Dispute
In recent months, a federal judge ordered Perkins to pay restitution to Dunmire’s estate and family, which is required under federal law for violent crimes.
Court documents show prosecutors sought payment to cover Dunmire’s projected future income, funeral costs, and travel expenses for his family to attend court from out of state.
Perkins has contested the restitution amount, challenging the $596,000 listed for lost income and arguing that his living expenses should reduce the total.
Prosecutors responded in court filings, stating, “She should not now be able to avoid paying into his estate—which one day will belong to his minor children—by claiming that he did not make any money despite having a full-time job and being capable of work. To order otherwise would be to give Defendant a windfall despite her crime.”
The Financial Litigation Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces restitution orders but notes that full recovery is often unlikely, as many defendants lack sufficient funds.
Chelsea Perkins is currently serving a 22½-year sentence in a federal prison in West Virginia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Public Defender’s Office have not responded to 19 News requests for updates on the hearing.