Many of us have ventured into the world of online dating apps, or at least know someone who has. These platforms can simplify finding a partner, allowing you to specify preferences and chat before meeting in person. Usually, the worst outcome we imagine is a date that doesn’t lead to romance, or perhaps just an awkward evening. We’ve all experienced a less-than-perfect date.
However, what happens when a rendezvous arranged through an app takes a sinister turn, leading to someone’s disappearance or even murder? It’s a chilling thought, but predators unfortunately use dating apps to find their next victims. Some may intend robbery or assault, but for others, the end game is tragically murder. Here are ten more unsettling cases where swiping right led to devastating consequences.
10. Indiana Threesome Turns Deadly
On October 19, 2021, Heidi Carter, 36, used a dating app to meet a woman. She invited this new acquaintance and her boyfriend to the house where Carter was staying for an evening of drinks, drugs, and intimacy. As the three engaged in sexual activity, Carter’s boyfriend, Carey Hammond, interrupted. Enraged, Hammond attacked the couple with a baseball bat, bound the man, Timothy Ivy, with duct tape, and sexually assaulted the woman.
Later, Hammond strangled Ivy to death. Carter, armed with Hammond’s gun, helped keep the other woman subdued in a different room. After hiding Ivy’s body, Carter hired a cleaner. This cleaner discovered Ivy’s body, managed to escape, and alerted the police. When officers arrived, Hammond was shot and killed during an altercation. Carter was arrested and now faces serious charges, including murder, rape, felony criminal confinement, and abuse of a corpse. The surviving woman received medical treatment for her injuries.
9. A Confession in Utah
In the early hours of May 24, 2020, at 3:19 am, Ethan Hunsaker contacted Layton police, confessing that he had killed a woman he met on Tinder. When police arrived at his home, they found Ashlyn Black on the floor with multiple stab wounds. Despite their efforts, she could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hunsaker explained that he and Black had met at a bar and then returned to his home for consensual sex. He claimed he woke up, saw Black sleeping beside him, and proceeded to choke her. Hunsaker then retrieved a pocket knife and stabbed her repeatedly as she lay on his bedroom floor. Her wounds were located on her chest, side, and back. To date, Hunsaker has not provided a motive for the murder. In June 2021, Hunsaker, 26, pleaded guilty but mentally ill and is currently awaiting sentencing.
8. May-December Murder in Florida
Michael Harris, 20, was arrested on January 23, 2021, in connection with the death of 63-year-old Bobby Scott. Scott was reported missing by his husband a day after meeting Harris on January 17 through a popular dating app. When a week passed with no contact from Scott and no activity on his financial accounts, concerns grew.
Police eventually discovered Scott’s car in Harris’s possession. Harris claimed Scott had lent him the vehicle and that he hadn’t seen him since their date. However, Harris was arrested for murder even before Scott’s body was found. The medical examiner later determined Scott died from blunt force trauma, likely inflicted with a 2×4 piece of wood and a bottle. Authorities believe Harris may be an internet predator who had previously robbed or assaulted others met through dating apps. He has been charged with second-degree murder and is awaiting trial.
7. Tagged in New Jersey
Between August and November 2016, Khalil Wheeler-Weaver connected with four women via a dating app and arranged meetings. Tragically, three of these women were murdered, and a fourth narrowly escaped. Wheeler-Weaver used dating apps and the social media app Tagged to lure his victims. His horrific crimes might have continued if not for the determined efforts of his third victim’s family.
The 20-year-old security guard was described as clean-cut and well-dressed, belying his brutal tendencies. His first victim, Robin West, was found as charred remains in an abandoned house; her cause of death was undeterminable. Joanne Brown, his second victim, disappeared in October; her body, a victim of strangulation, was found in December. Sarah Butler was his final victim. She had messaged Wheeler-Weaver before meeting him, asking, “You’re not a serial killer, right?”
Prior to Sarah’s murder, another woman had met Wheeler-Weaver but managed to escape and reported her encounter to the police. Meanwhile, Sarah’s friends and family, devastated by her death, investigated her Tagged messages. They created a fake profile to arrange a meeting with Wheeler-Weaver. When he showed up at the agreed location, police were waiting and arrested him. Wheeler-Weaver was found guilty on 11 charges, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and arson, in December 2019. He was sentenced to 160 years in prison in 2021.
6. A Tinder Secret in Mexico
Francia Ruth Ibarra, 26, was reported missing on December 3, 2016. Investigations revealed she had been secretly dating Emmanuel Delani Valdez Bocanegra, whom she met on Tinder. They had been seeing each other for several months, but Bocanegra consistently avoided meeting Ruth’s friends and family. He became a person of interest when it was found she was last seen at his apartment in Leon, Mexico.
Upon searching his apartment, police discovered a bag containing human bones, along with caustic soda and hydrochloric acid. DNA tests confirmed the remains belonged to Ruth. Bocanegra had murdered her and then dissolved her body in acid. When questioned about his motive, Bocanegra stated it was because she had refused to have sex with him. He reportedly showed indifference to the charges brought against him.
5. Ohio Death by Grindr
In the spring of 2021, 19-year-old Talent Bradley met two men through the dating app Grindr. Following his arrest, he confessed to meeting and stabbing 62-year-old Robert Goodrich on May 26. Police linked Bradley to the crime using neighborhood camera footage that showed a Red Toyota, later found at Bradley’s home, near Goodrich’s house.
A second man, 63-year-old Randy Gwirtz, also fell victim to Bradley. When Gwirtz’s family reported him missing, police conducted a welfare check at his home and found him deceased, also from multiple stab wounds. Authorities believe Gwirtz was killed on the same day as Goodrich, but his body wasn’t discovered until June 7. Bradley faced charges of murder, aggravated murder, and burglary. However, these charges were dropped in late 2021 after Bradley committed suicide in jail while awaiting trial.
4. A Fantasy Realized in the UK
Carl Langdell and Katie Locke matched on the dating app PlentyofFish and met on December 23, 2015. Langdell had a troubled history, having spent the two previous years in and out of psychiatric hospitals due to violent sexual fantasies that involved killing a woman and assaulting her corpse. Unfortunately, after his release, Katie matched with him.
After meeting for drinks, the pair went to a hotel in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England. The next morning, hotel staff noticed that bedding and towels were missing from their room and that the window lock was broken. Katie’s father grew concerned when she didn’t return home. He went to Langdell’s mother’s house, where she called her son. Langdell then admitted to everything. Katie had been killed by strangulation. Carl was arrested hours after confessing to his mother and was subsequently sentenced to 26 years in a mental health facility.
3. An Unexpected Ohio Killer
Shakira Graham met Meshach Cornwall through a dating app, and they arranged to meet in person at Meshach’s house on December 15, 2018. Several days later, police received a call from a woman who reported finding her son, Meshach, unresponsive and covered in blood in the basement of his home. An investigation revealed Meshach had been shot multiple times.
Graham quickly became a person of interest and was arrested shortly after Meshach’s body was discovered. It transpired that two days after their date, Graham had returned to Meshach’s home, where she shot and killed him before stealing various items. Graham was found guilty of murder, grand theft, and receiving stolen property. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
2. Double Murder in the Bayou
In October 2020, Jamal Harris and Jessica Toulliet matched on the dating app Tagged and decided to meet in person. Reports indicate Jessica expressed disappointment with Harris’s appearance, allegedly telling him he didn’t resemble his profile picture and remarked he “looked like a pumpkin head.” A few days later, on October 3, 2020, the bodies of Jessica Toulliet and her father, Robert Templet Jr., were found inside her black Mercury Mountaineer. Both had been shot in the back of the head.
Relatives informed detectives that Jessica had been on a date with a man shortly before her murder. This information led police to Harris, who admitted to meeting Jessica a few days prior. He claimed the night ended early due to a disagreement. Detectives theorize that Jessica agreed to drive Harris home, with her father accompanying them for safety. It’s believed Harris murdered them after Jessica stopped the car. Harris was eventually arrested on October 21 and currently faces two charges of first-degree murder.
1. Cardiff Engagement Gone Wrong
Anthony Lowe and Katherine Smith connected on PlentyofFish in 2017. The pair quickly hit it off and were engaged within just one week. However, there were troubling signs. Lowe had lied about his age, claiming to be ten years younger than he was, and used a fake name, Tony Moore. He also exhibited distrustful behavior, frequently messaging Katherine throughout the day.
Only six weeks into their relationship, Katherine’s mother became worried when she couldn’t get in touch with her daughter. After persistently calling Katherine and contacting her friends, the police were alerted. Officers discovered Katherine’s body in her home; she had been stabbed 33 times in the neck, chest, and heart. It didn’t take long for investigators to determine Lowe was responsible for her murder. He was arrested, tried, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years.
These stories are tragic reminders that while dating apps can be a convenient way to meet new people, they also carry potential risks. It’s crucial to prioritize personal safety, trust your instincts, and take precautions when meeting someone for the first time. Sharing your plans with a friend or family member, meeting in public places, and doing a little research can make a significant difference.
What are your thoughts on these cases? Share your opinions and any safety tips you practice when using dating apps in the comments below.
