Hopkinsville man allegedly strangled, planted tracking devices on now ex-girlfriend

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Hopkinsville man has been accused of using tracking devices to stalk his now ex-girlfriend from 2024 to early 2025.

A criminal complaint alleges that in September 2024, a woman said she found a tracking device with nearly an hour and a half of footage, and a second tracking device was said to be hidden inside her purse.

She told Hopkinsville police that she thought her now ex-boyfriend, Matthew Baker, 52, planted the devices in her purse because he would frequently show up wherever she went without her telling him of her plans. She said she ended things with Baker after finding the devices and throwing them out the window.

Around 10 p.m. in March 2025, she said she was staying at Baker’s house after attempting to rekindle their relationship, according to the complaint. She told him that she was going upstairs, where she believes Baker noticed she was active on Facebook, which then led to him coming upstairs.

While upstairs, the victim reportedly told law enforcement that Baker took her phone from her and began looking through it, which led to an argument and eventual “tug-of-war” for the phone. During the argument, she said Baker slammed her on the ground, climbed on top of her, and attempted to strangle her. After escaping from Baker, she said she called her mom to pick her up, and she ended things with Baker again.

On March 25, the complaint noted that she was out driving when she noticed a vehicle stopped very close to hers and proceeded to follow her. Down the road, the vehicle pulled up beside her with the dome lights on, allowing her to see Baker inside, which caused her to panic and drive to a friend’s house.

Court records show that after arriving at her friend’s house, she claimed that her friend received a Facebook message claiming she and Baker were still having a physical relationship. He then sent along a video that showed the two of them engaging in explicit activity. She told the police that the video was old and she hadn’t spoken to Baker since ending the relationship.

On April 10, Baker was arrested and charged with:

• Video voyeurism
• Distribution of sexually explicit images without consent
• First-degree strangulation (domestic violence-related)
• Fourth-degree assault (domestic violence)
• First-degree stalking
• Eavesdropping
• Intentional unlawful use of a tracking device
• Violation of a Kentucky EPO/DVO

The police said she knew Baker had filmed the pair because he had occasionally sent her explicit videos of them.

In the complaint, the police noted that Baker had allegedly made multiple threats against her. She told the police she felt scared for her life and that she could not make Baker stop because of “his wealth and connections.”

Court records show that Baker is due to appear in court at 9 a.m. on April 25 after being released on a $10,000 bond on April 11.