A 31-year-old woman and OnlyFans model, Michaela Brashaye Rylaardsam, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly "mummifying" 55-year-old client Michael Dale in plastic wrap and duct tape. This would prove fatal as Dale asphyxiated under the wrapping, resulting in brain death and his ultimate death just days afterward back in April 2023.
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According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, both Rylaarsdam and Dale met up after the 55-year-old contacted the OnlyFans model online. As per an affidavit read by the outlet, Dale made some unusual requests, which included wrapping him like a mummy and gluing women's boots on his feet. Dale offered to pay the sum of $11,000 for the bizarre sex act. Rylaarsdam, as per the document, stated that she had never engaged in fetish behavior before meeting Rylaarsdam.
Police claimed that Rylaarsdam arrived a Dale's home on April 17, 2023, at around 6 p.m. Despite Dale appearing to be intoxicated, Rylaarsdam chose to "spend the next several hours with Dale and engage in fetish behavior," reads the affidavit. Four hours after arriving at Dale's home, Rylaarsdam called 911.
Asphyxiation
Video obtained by police after Rylaarsdam surrendered her phone was troubling. It showed Dale with duct tape in his mouth, a plastic bag covering his head with cling wrap, and more duct tape. Meanwhile, his wrists were bound, his fingers were duct taped, and his legs were plastic-wrapped, as per the affidavit. The document alleged that, due to this, he was unable to remove the plastic bag and wrapping covering his head and mouth.
While Michael Dale was experiencing asphyxiation, Michaela Brashaye Rylaardsam performed a sex act nearby. She recorded it as content for her OnlyFans page, the document claims. In total, as per a prosecutor, Dale had the bag in his head for at least eight minutes.
Rylaardsam eventually noticed something was wrong and cried for help. Present at the house was a resident who recently rented a room. He rushed to the scene and told Rylaardsam to call 911. The dispatcher coached the woman through CPR while first responders arrived.
Officers arrived and performed CPR on Dale. He was rushed to a hospital but he was declared brain dead one day later. Days later, he was taken off life-support, with his cause of death determined as "deprivation of oxygen to the brain," according to the outlet.
Michaela Brashaye Rylaardsam was charged with second-degree murder on February 2025. She pleaded not guilty to the charge. Deputy District Attorney David Jarman claims that Michael Dale never requested to be asphyxiated. Rather, he only hired her to perform bondage and fetish acts. Rylaardsam's defense attorney, David Cohen, however, claims there was "no intent to kill." He said her client called 911, she didn't try to conceal anything and was cooperative with authorities.
Rylaardsam is currently being held in prison without jail, awaiting trial.
