DOUGLAS, COLORADO: Matthew Ivester, 37, a Colorado man is accused of beating his girlfriend Stephanie Long, 36, to death while watching a Broncos game on September 17.
He allegedly told investigators that Long became unresponsive after drinking heavily and possibly doing crack cocaine.
However, surveillance cameras inside their home reportedly captured him shaking, slapping, and choking her, according to an affidavit obtained by Law and Crime.
Matthew Ivester and Stephanie Long dated for about a year
Ivester and Long had been dating for about a year and lived together in a home on South Ivy Way in Centennial, Colorado.
On the day of the incident, they allegedly started drinking alcohol at around 2.30 pm while watching the Broncos play. At about 6 pm, they began to argue, he allegedly claimed.
“While seated on the couch, Stephanie stood over him and headbutted him on the top of his head,” authorities wrote in the affidavit.
Ivester then allegedly pushed her down to the couch and they continued to watch the game.
He then said she went to the master bedroom sometime during the third quarter and he found her lying on the floor at around 11 pm.
He lifted her up and put her on the bed without changing her clothes even though she had peed herself. He said he noticed she was snoring and vomiting for about 10 minutes before he called 911.
How did surveillance footage bust Matthew Ivester's theory?
The footage from the surveillance cameras inside the home contradicted his story. Besides capturing arguments and yelling at his girlfriend at 5.11 pm, it showed Long was struck twice in the head with what seemed to be a pillow.
The cameras showed that Ivester shook Long violently, slapped her multiple times, and even grabbed her by the throat.
She complained about her head hurting and tried to call 911, but he took the phone away. He even stopped her when it appeared like she was trying to escape out the front door.
"She also asks him to stop hitting her,” police said, adding “She also tried to possibly walk out the front door, but Matthew stops her.”
When Long told Ivester about the cameras in the room, he told her they were not recording, the documents reportedly stated.
Long was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced brain dead. She had no brain activity and doctors said she was not going to survive her injuries.
They waited for her family's permission to take her off the life support. Doctors determined that Long had suffered a cardiac arrest and then fell into a coma.
“She was found to have a large right subdural hematoma, diffuse cerebral edema and herniation,” the doctors stated.
Long's injuries included brain bleed and lack of oxygen supply to the brain.
Investigators questioned Matthew Ivester after a long prognosis
After finding that she had a grim prognosis, Ivester was again questioned about headbutting.
[The defendant] attributed her behavior to multiple personalities,” authorities wrote, adding “He grabbed her arms and pulled her onto the couch.”
He allegedly said again that she walked into the master bedroom.
“When he found that Stephanie was not breathing,” they wrote.
“He panicked and started shaking her, slapped her face two to three times, slapped her back and side in an attempt to wake her up, but was unsuccessful," the authorities added.
Ivester told the authorities that he and Long argued over some corn falling from the fridge, which the authorities thought was an exception from his earlier statements.
He said she headbutted him and he restrained her by grabbing her arm and neck.
“He may have struck her today, but he cannot remember,” the affidavit stated.
“He is not proud of this, but he has been physical with Stephanie in the past. She too has been physical with him in the past. He has put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming while attacking him,” the affidavit added.
Ivester was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault, and one count of harassment.
