Cornell University ‘Gang Rape' Case: How did a Marine sergeant and his family become targets of death threats and harassment by mistake?

A shocking development has emerged in connection with the alleged Cornell university ‘gang rape,' where an active duty sergeant in the Marine Corps is caught in the crossheirs. He happens to share the same name as one of the seven fraternity brothers named in the lawsuit.

The court documents were filed by a former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe against seven fraternity brothers, the university, the Chi Phi fraternity, and others. The victim alleged that she was plied with drugs and alcohol and then subjected to sexual abuse while she was partially or entirely incapacitated.

They further claimed a social media message was also sent to other fraternity members telling them about what all was happening and also inviting people to take part. According to the Free Press, after the case resurfaced following a new lawsuit filed in September 2026, an online mob of vigilantes severely targeted the seven accused.


However, Marine Corps sergeant, identified as Matthew Ingalls, 23, mistakenly bore the brunt of this backlash when his address in upstate New York and telephone numbers for his relatives were leaked online, leading to his family facing death threats.

Is Ingalls connected to Cornell University

Ingalls never went to Cornell University and is not in any manner linked to the alleged sexual assault case, which first came to light in 2024. He reportedly shares the same name as one of the seven accused rapists being sued by their alleged victim.

Ingalls’ mother breaks silence

Despite that, Ingalls faced online scrutiny and came under fire when lawyers of Jane Doe, the accuser, and her lawyers inaccurately added the Ingalls’ home address to the official docket in the court case, the Free Press reported. “My family’s been terrorized, threatened, and harassed,” Ingalls’ mother, Victoria, told the news 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.”


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Ingalls’ sister receives threats

A chilling post showed that Ingalls’ sister, 26, was sent a Google Earth image of her brother’s house, something she perceived as a threat, along with a series of violent text messages, according to the Free Press. “Do the world a favor and go kill yourself,” read one message. “Get f–ked in the a—to death, b—h,” read another.