An active-duty US Marine Corps sergeant who happens to share the same name as one of the “Cornell 7” has been targeted by an online mob — with vigilantes bombarding his family with death threats, according to a report.
Matthew Ingalls, 23, was mistakenly served with the bombshell, recent lawsuit accusing seven fraternity brothers at Cornell University of gang rape, leading to his address becoming public, the Free Press reported Thursday.
As soon as the suit was filed September 18, online sleuths began posting Ingalls’ details and those of his family, including his address in upstate New York and telephone numbers for his relatives.
Ingalls never attended Cornell University and has no connection to the case, other than sharing the same name as one of the seven accused rapists being sued by their alleged victim, identified in court papers only as Jane Doe.
But he still became the target of twisted abuse and doxing when lawyers for the accuser erroneously added the Ingalls’ home address to the official docket in the court case, according to the Free Press.
“My family’s been terrorized, threatened and harassed,” Ingalls’ mother, Victoria, told the outlet.
“I am just amazed at the way people behave. I can’t believe that people will just look someone up on the internet, take a phone number and start texting someone or calling someone and saying the vile things they’re saying,” she said.
“You don’t even know if you have the right person. You’re creating more victims.”
In one chilling post, Ingalls’ sister, 26, was sent a Google Earth image of her brother’s house, something she took to be a threat, along with a series of violent text messages, the report said.
“Do the world a favor and go kill yourself,” read one message.
“Get f–ked in the a– to death, b—h,” read another.
Here’s the latest on the ‘Cornell 7’ frat probe:
When Victoria Ingalls was served with the lawsuit, she initially feared the stranger knocking on her door was telling her that her military hero son had been killed, the Free Press reported.
She said she understood the public “anger” over the case, which has seized national interest almost two years after the alleged rape took place at Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
But online vigilantes “need to do better,” she told the outlet. “You can’t just lash out at random at somebody because they have the same name.”
Ingalls said that while her son has military protection living at Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina, she fears for her family’s safety.
“I don’t even know how I feel anymore. I’m so overwhelmed. I’m mostly scared for my kids,” she said.
Lawyers for the alleged victim did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
An associate at the firm told the Free Press that they were working with the court and their process server to fix the mistake.
“Service upon the correct Matthew Ingalls is being arranged,” the associate said.
In the formal document requesting court involvement in the case, the information for Matthew Ingalls has now been changed to show a different address.
