MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man is facing a felony assault charge after authorities say a dating-app meetup with two men, arranged as part of a planned threesome, devolved into violence when the men realized they had been catfished.
Kerstin Matkins, 33, is charged with first-degree aggravated assault following a November shooting near a rural area outside Huntsville, according to court records and testimony at a preliminary hearing.
Investigators said Matkins had been communicating online with two men and agreed to meet them late at night. Authorities testified the men believed they were meeting someone else and had planned a consensual threesome. When they arrived, prosecutors said, the men realized Matkins was not who he had represented himself to be online.
What followed, officials said, was a confrontation. According to sheriff’s deputies, one of the men struck Matkins’ vehicle with a baseball bat. As the men attempted to drive away, Matkins allegedly fired multiple shots at their SUV, striking one of the occupants. The injured man was later treated at a hospital. The second man was not seriously hurt.
Defense attorneys argued Matkins acted in self-defense after his vehicle was damaged. Prosecutors countered that firing several rounds as the men were fleeing went beyond self-defense. A judge found there was sufficient evidence for the case to move forward and bound it over to a grand jury.
Matkins is charged with aggravated assault, a felony that can carry a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted. Prosecutors have not said whether additional charges are being considered.
Authorities noted the case underscores the risks associated with meeting strangers from dating apps, particularly when meetups involve multiple people and occur in isolated areas. Matkins remained in custody pending further court proceedings.
