A former Colorado art teacher has been arrested after allegedly carrying out a fatal stabbing spree on Halloween night, which he filmed on his iPhone in 'selfie mode,' according to police. Matthew Regnier, 33, who previously taught at Monument Academy, was taken into custody 'fully naked, bloodied and holding a child' on the 1400 block of El Paso Street just before midnight on Friday.
Police responded to a domestic dispute call and found one man and two women suffering from severe stab wounds. The male victim later died from stab wounds to the head and torso, while the two women survived and are recovering. Regnier was booked into the El Paso County Jail on charges of murder, attempted murder and assault, and remains held without bail.
According to an arrest affidavit, Regnier claimed the stabbings were in 'self-defence,' alleging a 'three-on-one' assault in which one victim tried to bite off his finger, another attempted to strangle him, and a third tried to rip off his genitals. He said he grabbed a 'buck knife' made from an animal antler from a closet. However, authorities said video from his iPhone showed him screaming about being choked while clearly able to 'escape the strangulation.'
The video, recorded in 'selfie mode,' showed Regnier fully naked in a bedroom corner, repeatedly shouting 'Leave me alone, she’s choking me' and 'I can’t breathe.' Officers noted that he freed himself from the woman’s grip several times before retreating to a closet, after which the victims' screams changed in tone. One of the women later told police that Regnier had been keeping her and the other woman away from the child just before the attack.
Shocked neighbours expressed devastation, with resident Susan Reynolds telling KKTV News: 'I have literally cried every day. It is just so shocking, it’s hard to even fathom that this could take place.' The connection between Regnier and the victims remains unclear, as their names are redacted in court documents.
