Canadian man Devin Wolfgang Vanderhoef, 26, has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the attempted murder of two people in Monterey County, California.
Vanderhoef, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, met an unnamed woman while playing Fortnite and, as per a report in the LA Times, became “obsessed” with her. It’s unclear how their relationship began, whether they initially interacted as friends or if this was entirely one-sided on Vanderhoef’s part.
Whatever the truth is of how they met, Vanderhoef’s obsession became homicidal in October 2024, and he hatched a plan to travel to California and attack her, with officials saying he wanted to “actually kill someone.”
In late November 2024, he and his friend Darius Whyte traveled to California, where they purchased knives, handcuffs, and duct tape and surveilled her home and workplace. Vanderhoef then posed as an Amazon delivery driver and arrived at her front door with a package.
‘Online interactions can carry real world consequences’
The woman’s boyfriend answered the door and was immediately suspicious of Vanderhoef. Vanderhoef then forced his way into their home and began stabbing the boyfriend as Whyte watched from a distance. Both the boyfriend and the woman fled the home, with Vanderhoef pursuing them outside.
A struggle ensued, with the woman’s boyfriend disarming Vanderhoef and then stabbing him repeatedly with scissors. Apparently convinced this was the end of the attack, they began to flee back to their house. But the woman tripped and Vanderhoef rose up and continued his attack, attempting to strangle her.
Vanderhoef’s attack finally ended when a neighbor saw him strangling her and screamed, causing him to release his grip and allowing her to flee. Cops were summoned, and Vanderhoef was arrested at the scene with his mug shot showing significant injuries suffered in his attack. Meanwhile, Whyte fled and attempted to fly back to Canada, but was arrested on a plane at San Jose International Airport.
Whyte pled guilty to assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury and being an accessory after the fact to a felony and testified against Vanderhoef at his jury trial, where he was found guilty and has now been sentenced.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said, “We hope this case serves as a powerful reminder that online interactions can carry real-world consequences, and we encourage parents and community members to remain engaged, informed, and proactive in protecting themselves and their children.”
Published: Jun 29, 2026 01:10 pm