Man’s ‘Years-Lengthy Obsession’ with Lady He Met Gaming Led to Brutal Stabbing: Sheriff

Devin Wolfgang Vandorhoef (above left) and Darius Avery Whyte (above proper), each 25, have been charged with tried homicide and conspiracy to commit tried homicide following an incident on November 25, 2024 in Salinas.

The 2 reportedly entered not responsible pleas in court docket this week, per KSBW, with the outlet additionally reporting they have been charged with felony housebreaking. Jail data, in the meantime, additionally present Vandorhoef is going through prices of mayhem and stalking.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Workplace laid out the allegations in opposition to the 2 males in a press launch, revealing deputies responded to a 9-1-1 calls concerning a stabbing … and located three topics, later recognized as Vandorhoef and the 2 victims, who all had stabbing accidents.

Per detectives, Vandorhoef and the lady on the residence “had beforehand met and gotten to know one another through a gaming platform.” Authorities additionally declare Vandorhoef “developed a 12 months’s lengthy obsession with the sufferer which led to him flying to California from Canada the place [she] resides”; he was joined on his journey by Whyte, added the sheriff.

Authorities say Vandorhoef knocked on the sufferer’s door holding a package deal, pretending to be a deliveryman. Contained in the package deal, in response to detectives, had been handcuffs, duct tape and knives — although the sheriff mentioned “it’s unknown how these things had been meant on getting used.”

It was the sufferer’s boyfriend who answered the door, with the sheriff saying Vandorhoef then “pressured his method in and started stabbing” the person with a knife, inflicting “a number of important accidents.” The lady, in the meantime, started “defending her boyfriend” and began stabbing Vandorhoef with “a pointy metallic object,” inflicting “a number of important stab wounds.”

Within the assault, the lady was allegedly strangled and stabbed by Vandorhoef and was hospitalized with “reasonable” accidents.

In line with the discharge, Whyte initially claimed he had “no information” of what occurred when authorities spoke with him on the scene. Nonetheless, an investigation decided Whyte was “an confederate” and “had information of what Vandorhoef’s intentions had been” — earlier than he was taken into custody whereas sitting on a flight set to carry him again to Canada.

Vandorhoef is being held on $4,150,000.00 bail, whereas Whyte’s bail was set at $1,000,000.00 bail.

Chief Assistant District Lawyer Berkley Brannon referred to as the case “extraordinary” whereas talking with KSBW. “Guys coming from Vancouver to Salinas to pose as an Amazon supply particular person and stab anyone,” he added, “it is actually one of many strangest instances I’ve ever seen.”

The feminine sufferer was reportedly current in court docket throughout an arraignment for Whyte, whereas her boyfriend — as of final week — was in important however secure situation. Vandorhoef’s arraignment was postponed till this week as a result of he was nonetheless within the hospital recovering from his accidents; he did, nevertheless, seem in court docket on Monday.

They’re each due again in court docket on December 10.