Former MMA fighter dubbed War Machine has recently been found guilty by a Las Vegas jury of kidnapping and sexually assaulting his porn star ex-girlfriend, Christy Mack. The 35-year-old Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver was convicted on 29 counts last Monday, and faces up to life in prison at sentencing in June, as the jury remains deadlocked on the attempted murder charge.
During the trial, the 25-year-old Christy Mack spent eight hours on the stand sobbing as she revealed that she was beaten, raped and threatened with death by Koppenhaver in the months before the final assault in August of 2014–which resulted in a lacerated liver, a broken nose, missing teeth and a fractured eye socket.
As the former MMA fighter awaits his sentencing trial on May 10, he claims to be grateful for the incident that nearly killed his ex-girlfriend and her new lover, and is looking for forgiveness. In a lengthy Twitter statement that made it up on the internet by who I presume would be his attorney, Koppenhaver said:
Well, that didn’t go very well, now did it? Would you believe me, though, if I said that I have nothing but joy inside, even now as I am sure to receive some type of life sentence? It’s true. Often times I have heard men in neighboring cells go to their cells and cry after receiving such news, but how can I? How can I cry tears of sorrow over the circumstances responsible for saving my soul? These circumstances are what has transformed me into a real man, how can I disrespect god by weeping over them? How much is a soul worth? Is a life sentence too high a price? Not at all, I gladly trade this false life in for the real one to come; I have been nothing but blessed by all of this. Now, if only I could somehow receive Christy’s forgiveness… And if only I could one day hear that she too had been saved! That would remove every last bit of tarnish from this tragedy.
CHRISTY: I am sorry for the man that I was, I am sorry for hurting you. One day, when enough time has passed, and when your wounds are fully healed, I hope that you will write to me, or, perhaps, even visit me, so that I can apologize completely, and so that I can tell you about all that I have found in regard to god. He is real and can heal and complete you deep inside, if only you knew the full extent to which he had healed me… I will never cease to pray for you.
[Koppenhaver goes on to write personalized messages to his family and friends, urging them not to worry about him, as he is “happy for the first time in my life.”]
CLARK COUNTY DETENTION CENTER KOPPENHAVER #2519422
This is a convenient time to write a letter publicly claiming that you’ve found God when in a month a jury will decide whether you’ll be locked in a cage for the rest of your life, ain’t it pal? We’ll see if it pays off May 10.
[h/t NY Post]