The 2013 courthouse shooting of Christine Belford sent shockwaves through Delaware as national media swarmed the scene. But soon reporters uncovered this was no random act of violence. The execution-style murder was a chilling culmination of a years-long custody battle turned deadly vendetta.
As the disturbing hidden truth emerged, one thing became clear – no one fully grasped the extreme danger Christine faced. This article will chronologically walk through the harrowing events while analyzing key evidence and questions. Buckle up, because spanning nearly a decade across multiple states and countries, this complex case has no shortage of shocking twists.
A Nasty Divorce Spiraling into an Obsession
Christine Belford married David Matusiewicz in the 90s, but the relationship deteriorated. By 2006, Christine filed for divorce citing claims of domestic violence. What followed was a bitter three-year custody fight over their three young daughters.
David insisted Christine was an unfit, mentally unstable mother despite evaluations finding no concerns. The court awarded Christine primary custody in Delaware as David‘s behavior grew increasingly erratic. Former FBI agent Bradley Orsini told ABC News:
"Christine was afraid of David…He was explosive, and she was afraid he might harm the kids to get back at her."
A Desperate Kidnapping Sets Off Global Manhunt
In August 2009, David failed to return his daughters after a scheduled visit. Christine‘s panicked call to police kicked off an intense search spanning thousands of miles. For 18 agonizing months, the investigation unearthed few leads on their whereabouts.
A disturbing call from the children in 2010 added to the mystery. In the brief phone chat, David forced the girls to recite claims of abuse by Christine. One daughter pleaded "don‘t hurt me mommy" while refusing to disclose details on who was present or their location.
The FBI finally traced a call place to Managua, Nicaragua in early 2011. Agents tracked the signal to the remote town of Catarina. Inside a tiny, run-down house they discovered all three daughters alive along with David and his mother Lenore Matusiewicz. Nicaraguan authorities arrested them as the FBI transported the girls home.
But how did David – with barely any passport stamps or assets – manage to hide the children abroad for so long? Many questions remain unresolved about potential accomplices or premeditation. However, in family testimony the parents cited intentions to "rescue" the children from Christine‘s "abuse."
An Early Warning Sign Foreshadows Deadly Revenge
While awaiting trial in prison, David continued exhibiting bizarre behavior. After supervised visits with the children, he wrote an ominous letter vowing they would never see their mother again. Christine‘s father would discover the letter after his daughter‘s death. Its threats took on chilling new meaning in hindsight of the murder conspiracy soon uncovered.
Cyberstalking Campaign Reveals Shocking Conspiracy
Following 18 months incarcerated pre-trial, David was released on bail in late 2011. Court-mandated psychiatric evaluations diagnosed him with severe mental illness. However, he resumed living near his mother Lenore and sisters Amy Gonzalez and Karley Collins.
In 2012, Christine remarried and sought to regain custody of her daughters. The COURT ordered supervised visitation for David, angering him further. Around this time, Christine‘s coworkers and family noticed she was receiving threats by email and phone. When Christine reported the harassment, investigators traced the communications back to the IP address of Amy Gonzalez.
Digging deeper, the FBI investigation discovered a fake website published under Christine‘s name. The traumatizing site falsely depicted her abusing her daughters through horrific graphic imagery and dehumanizing narratives. Investigators linked its creation and promotion directly to David‘s family.
- David‘s sister Amy purchased the domain and hosted the site through Bluehost servers.
- David‘s mother Lenore skillfully masked payments by laundering money through other family members.
- Witnesses reported seeing David frequently meet and pass external hardrives to his mother Lenore while incarcerated.
This coordinated cyberstalking revealed strong premeditation of a revenge plot by David‘s family. But authorities significantly underestimated the end goal of violence despite all the signs.
A Shooting Shocks the Nation – The Vendetta Reaches Its Peak
On February 11th, 2013 Christine Belford walked into a Delaware courthouse alongside her friend Laura Mulford. The two were scheduled to appear at a custody hearing against David. But they were being stalked.
Security footage shows they exited the elevator on the way to their hearing when a woman in a brown coat confronted them. Wielding a .45 caliber handgun, the shooter delivered multiple shots at point blank range – killing Christine and injuring Laura. The cold-blooded execution was over in less than a minute as the assassin casually walked away.
Officers responding to the shooting scene quickly identified the perpetrator as none other than David‘s mother – 68-year old Lenore Matusiewicz. Dressed in disguise, she brought enough ammunition to slaughter countless victims. Her hit list had included daughter Amy and cousin Karley for not being supportive enough.
Like in a movie, Delaware police tracked her getaway vehicle speeding towards the New Jersey border. They cornered the car at an intersection, finding Lenore still brandishing her weapon. She refused to surrender for 2 hours until federal marshals negotiated a peaceful arrest.
Orchestrating Murder from Prison – Family Conspiracy Revealed
How could a retiredteacher in her 60s mastermind a homicide on a victim 300 miles away? Investigators uncovered a larger murderous web connecting the entire Matusiewicz family.
From prison, David utilized multiple channels to coordinate with Lenore and Amy on executing revenge. Prison visits and recorded phone calls showed him directing cyber harassment efforts in code. He deliberately shielded himself from directly communicating with websites or payment channels – using his mother and sister as proxies.
Experts emphasize Lenore‘s smart avoidance of explicit conversations about violence plans in communication records. An indictment would later characterize David as "coach, co-conspirator and co-defendant" driving overall strategies to exact vengeance. But despite being the recognized leader, after the shooting David sent a letter from prison denying involvement and condemning his mother‘s actions. This deceit aligned with his consistent refusal to take responsibility.
Meanwhile, testimony showed Amy willingly publishing horrendous false accusations alongside threatening messages as directed by David and Lenore. Evidence proved website registration and payments tied directly to her accounts even as she denied direct involvement.
Justice Served – But Pain Lingers Aftermath
The orchestrated courthouse attack highlights failures in recognizing domestic violence warning signs. It marked Delaware’s first mass shooting in decades. While mourning Christine, the community processed how this seemingly random event resulted from an obsessive revenge agenda years in the making.
David‘s recurring death threats should have raised alarms around letting Lenore retain custody of David‘s daughters. Her role in the kidnapping also escaped punishment at the time. And despite being jailed with restricted visitor access, David displayed uncanny capacity to direct harassment efforts.
The shooting represented the devastating endpoint of domestic violence according to University of Delaware criminology expert Dr. Adam Rowe:
“The literature is clear that domestic violence situations can turn deadly over issues related to child custody. This case hit all the red flags.”
Lenore ultimately made a plea deal receiving life imprisonment without parole. She passed away in jail from apparent suicide two years later.
David did the same in 2017 – telling guards he had “nothing left to live for.” His official cause of death was determined as “suicide by self-starvation.”
For her less direct level of involvement, sister Amy also plead guilty to cyberstalking. She was sentenced to 48 months in prison and a subsequent 5 years probation.
Amy Gonzalez (right) next to her defense lawyer at sentencing hearing. Photo credit: ABC News
Through each development, all eyes remained on Christine‘s surviving daughters and how David‘s family’s betrayal would impact their healing. Their grandmother murdered their mother and falsely accused her of abuse.
The girls provided critical testimony instrumental to attaining justice despite intimidation attempts. The judge would especially praise their remarkable courage:
“I’m in awe of your bravery for testifying.”
In another painful layer, David and Christine‘s third daughter had conspicuously gone missing in 2017 shortly before her dad‘s death. She reportedly abandoned her previous career ambitions, withdrew life savings and ceased contact with family. Her mysterious disappearance carried eerie parallels to how Lenore secreted David‘s family internationally years prior.
While questions remain on certain case details lost to time, the extensive investigation work reflects law enforcement’s commitment to pursuing justice despite endless deception efforts. Media interviews with family and friends reveal how after 8 grueling years, Christine Belford’s loved ones found some closure. But the damage inflicted can never be fully undone.
This harrowing true crime case offers lessons for improving society’s response to domestic violence through earlier intervention. It also highlights the inspiring resilience of daughters determined to honor their mother. While this vicious web of lies and violence ultimately claimed many lives, compassion and understanding represent the only path forward toward healing.