81-year-old Ohio man charged for the murder of Black Uber driver
William Brock, an 81-year-old man from Ohio, was charged with the murder of an Uber driver whom he erroneously believed was part of a fraud operation, according to authorities. He shot 61-year-old Loletha Hall outside his home on March 25 under the belief she was in collusion with a scammer.
Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff's Office detailed the tragic misunderstanding: "Mr. Brock received some scam call by a person purporting to be someone from our courts who informed him a family member was incarcerated and that he had a bond of a significant amount of money," he shared, per NBC. "The calls turned from 'I'm an officer in the court' to 'We have this subject hostage; this is a ransom demand.'"
According to Shultz, the scammer or an accomplice ordered an Uber to Brock’s address to pick up the supposed ransom money. Per authorities, when Hall arrived and approached the man’s door, he armed himself, confiscated her cellphone, and blocked her from leaving.
“When she tried to get away, he shot her once. Then there was more exchange between them," Shultz said. "Mr. Brock was at some point injured to his head, and he shot Ms. Hall a second time. There was more conversation, and then he shot her a third time. Only after he shot her a third time did he then make contact with authorities to report the incident."
Hall, who was unarmed and did not pose a physical threat to Brock, died at a hospital from her injuries. The 81-year-old pleaded not guilty to the murder and kidnapping charges and posted a $200,000 bond earlier this month. He faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
An Uber spokesperson also issued a statement: “There is no other way to describe this incident than a horrific tragedy. Our heart continues to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve her sudden loss.”
]]>
