Discovery of Dunmire’s Body
Dunmire’s body was not discovered immediately.
On March 9, 2021, several days after the shooting, hikers found him in the wooded area of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
An autopsy determined that he had died from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Investigators reconstructed his final movements using witness statements, messages, surveillance material, vehicle information and phone records.
Coworkers provided information about the woman he planned to meet. Witnesses recalled seeing a white vehicle and a woman in dark clothing. Other hikers reported hearing a gunshot in the relevant time period.
Individual pieces of circumstantial evidence gradually formed a coherent timeline connecting Perkins to Dunmire’s final hours.
The Firearms Recovered in Virginia
Federal agents eventually executed a search warrant at Perkins’ home in Virginia.
They found three 9mm pistols.
One of the weapons was inside a woman’s purse that also contained Perkins’ photo identification. Testing detected her DNA on the firearm.
Ballistic evidence further connected the weapons and ammunition recovered from the property to the fatal shooting.
The gun evidence was accompanied by digital material, including the deleted apparent suicide note.
These discoveries turned the investigation from a reconstruction of Dunmire’s movements into a case directly implicating Perkins.
The Justice Department later cited the firearms, DNA and fabricated note when announcing her sentence.
Why the Case Took Years to Resolve
Dunmire was killed in March 2021, but Perkins did not plead guilty until May 2025.
Complex federal prosecutions can take years because investigators must collect and analyze physical evidence, obtain digital records, litigate pretrial issues and prepare for trial.
Perkins initially faced a more serious prosecution. Her eventual plea agreement resolved the case with a guilty plea to second-degree murder and the firearm offense.
A guilty plea meant there would be no full trial at which competing narratives and every item of evidence would be presented to a jury.
It also meant Perkins formally accepted criminal responsibility for killing Dunmire.
On May 27, 2025—shortly before the scheduled trial—she entered her plea.
The Sentencing
On September 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. sentenced Perkins to 270 months in federal prison.
That equals 22 years and six months.
She was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after completing the prison term. The amount of restitution was left to be determined later.
At sentencing, prosecutors characterized the killing as calculated. Perkins apologized to Dunmire’s family and said she took responsibility for what she had done.
Dunmire’s father addressed the court, emphasizing that his son was also a human being and that his children had lost their father.
The viral post says Perkins received 22 years. That is close but imprecise. A news article should use the complete figure: 22½ years.