In the quiet community of Chesapeake, Virginia, the life of 17-year-old Matthew Hunter Toothman was abruptly and tragically cut short on August 7, 2016. A rising senior at Hickory High School, Matthew was known for his involvement in the marching band's drum line, track, and tennis. He was an active member of the Ambassadors Club and a former Boy Scout, a young man with a full life ahead of him. The Toothman family was seen by many as ideal, making the events that unfolded inside their home all the more shocking to the community.
The unthinkable violence was carried out by Matthew's older brother, 20-year-old Zachary Toothman. On that Sunday, Zachary, who was home from Virginia Tech for the summer, was facing a secret he had kept from his family: he had been placed on academic suspension and was not eligible to return to school in the fall. When his mother, Susie, suggested they register him for his upcoming classes, the pressure apparently became too much to bear. Zachary retrieved his father's service revolver and shot his mother, his father, Michael Toothman, a 30-year veteran of the Chesapeake Police Department, and his younger brother, Matthew.
Both Matthew and his 53-year-old father were killed in the attack. His mother, Susie, was shot and seriously wounded but managed to survive by pretending to be dead before escaping and getting help from a neighbor. When police arrived, they found a horrific scene and arrested Zachary at the home. Initially, Zachary told police a contradictory story, claiming his mother was the shooter, but the evidence did not support his account.
In June 2017, Zachary Toothman pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his father and brother, and one count of attempted murder for shooting his mother. Investigations and court documents revealed Zachary's struggles with his grades and relationships at college, and a history of depression, which he had largely hidden from his parents. In November 2017, a judge sentenced Zachary to two life sentences plus an additional 23 years in prison, the maximum sentence he could have received. The tragic case left a family torn apart and a community mourning the loss of a respected police officer and his promising teenage son.
