A recent case in Delaware shows how obsession and a compulsion to be involved in another person's life can lead to murder, whether that stalking takes place in the material world or the digital one.

Christine Belford discovered this firsthand when, after being divorced from her ex-husband for six years, a continual campaign of cyberstalking and harassment ended in her murder, as well as that of friend Laura Mulford, at a federal courthouse in Wilmington on Feb. 11, 2013.

The ex-husband, David Matusiewicz, his mother Lenore Matusiewicz and sister Amy Gonzalez were convicted of interstate stalking resulting in death and given life sentences in what federal investigators are calling the first charges and conviction of cyberstalking leading to murder.

According to the FBI and Delaware State Police, David Matusiewicz orchestrated a coordinated online harassment campaign against his former wife as far back as 2007. At that time, the two were in the midst of divorce proceedings and Matusiewicz was serving a jail sentence for kidnapping Belford's children earlier that year.

Matusiewicz's mother and sister, as well as his father, Thomas Matusiewicz "waged an elaborate, years-long, online campaign against Christine Belford, alleging she endangered the lives of the daughters she had with Matusiewicz," according to the FBI.

"Through our investigation, we discovered that the Matusiewicz family had a network of supporters helping them uncover information about Christine's life," said Special Agent Joseph Gordon. "They were convinced by the family's claims that she was a child abuser but they didn't know the family's real intent."

These actions came to a head in February 2013 when Matusiewicz drove from Texas to Delaware for a hearing on child support payments. He brought with him his father and mother, as well as several firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, restraints, an electric shock device, gas cans and a shovel, investigators said.

The three family members entered the courthouse lobby on Feb. 11, where Thomas Matusiewicz shot and killed Belford and Mulford. The father later took his own life during a subsequent standoff with police.

David and Lenore Matusiewicz and Gonzalez were convicted in July 2015 and each sentenced in February to life in prison.

"Even from their homes in Texas, the Matusiewiczes had the ability to frighten Christine through electronic and physical means," Gordon said. "They were all responsible for her murder."

About Aaron Boyd

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.

Share:
In Other News
Load More