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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Additional charges filed against man in killing of Uber driver he
mistakenly believed was a scammer
By Danny Freeman, Fabiana Chaparro and Chris Boyette, CNN
Updated:
3:59 PM EDT, Wed April 17, 2024
Source: CNN
An 81-year-old Ohio man pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of
murder and other charges Wednesday related to the shooting death of
an Uber driver he mistakenly believed was working with a scammer
attempting to extort him, according to the Clark County prosecutor.
William Brock was previously arraigned on a murder charge for
purposely causing Loletha Hall’s death. On Monday, a grand jury
indicted him on that charge, as well as two new counts of felony
murder, according to court records.
The two felony murder counts accuse Brock of causing Hall’s death as
a result of committing or trying to commit another underlying felony:
felonious assault and kidnapping, respectively. In addition to the
three murder counts, he was also charged with kidnapping her and
felonious assault. In all, he faces five charges.
CNN has reached out to Brock’s defense attorney, Paul Kavanagh, for
comment.
Brock’s $200,000 bond continued from the one set previously in court
for the original murder charge on April 10, Clark County Prosecutor
Daniel P. Driscoll said.
Brock shot Hall several times outside his South Charleston home on
March 25, according to a criminal complaint. Hall was taken to a local
hospital where she died.
Brock told police that prior to the shooting he had received
threatening phone calls from a male caller who attempted to extort
money from him claiming one of Brock’s relatives was being held in
jail, and then threatened him and his family.
When 61-year-old Hall arrived in her Uber at Brock’s residence, he
shot her multiple times, the release states.
Brock was arrested and charged as police saw no active threat presented
by Hall during the encounter, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.
Police released dashcam video obtained from Hall’s vehicle of Brock
confronting her outside his home.
CNN has reached out to Hall’s family for comment.
According to the prosecutor, the judge will set Brock’s next court
date in the coming weeks.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office previously said the original scam
remains under investigation. On Wednesday, Driscoll declined to comment
saying, “Publicizing the direction of investigation may jeopardize
its outcome.”
‘A horrific tragedy’
Hall received a request on the Uber app to pick up a package from
Brock’s residence, the news release states. Authorities believe she
was “unfamiliar with the circumstances” surrounding the request.
Hall arrived in her Uber, and dash cam video from her car shows her
getting out of the car to speak to Brock.
According to the news release, she made no demands of Brock other than
to ask about the package she was sent to retrieve.
Brock was arrested and charged with murder as police saw no active
threat presented by Hall during the encounter, and Brock failed to
contact authorities for assistance, the sheriff’s office said.
Brock pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and posted his $200,000
bond on Wednesday, according to court documents.
Uber has been in contact with Hall’s family and law enforcement, the
company said. “This is a horrific tragedy and our hearts continue to
be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve,” an Uber spokesperson
said in a statement to CNN.
“We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to
supporting their investigation.”
Uber has banned the account of the individual who ordered Hall’s Uber
to Brock’s house, the company said. Authorities believe that
individual was either the original scam caller or an accomplice,
according to the release.
The company says it’s committed to the safety of Uber drivers and has
developed safety features including an in-app emergency button, route
sharing features and the ability to connect to a live safety agent.
It’s unclear if authorities have identified the owner of the account
or made any additional arrests.
CNN has reached out to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for more
information.
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