The Absolute Craziest Deaths Caused By Social Media
Dad Dispatches Ex-Wife To Stop Her Child Support FB Posts
One evening in 2010, after reading child-support-related Facebook comments from his ex-wife that he perceived as passive-aggressive, Adam Mann beat Lisa Beverley in her London home with a hammer before using a knife to sever her neck. The couple had reportedly divorced in 2007.
Then Mann left Beverley's body for the couple's 5-year-old son to discover the next day. Mann's son phoned his grandparents to tell them what he discovered, and they ultimately called the police. Mann received a 24-year sentence.
Woman Traps Teens In Heartbreaking Fake Online Relationships
Perhaps the most bizarre social networking killer never directly took any lives. In a twisted scheme taken to the extreme, then 27-year-old New Zealander Natalia Burgess spent months creating fake Facebook and Bebo profiles of attractive teenage girls. She gave them alluring names, like "Jordz Williams," "Becca Maria Jullienne," and "Abby Jane Zoe William." And her ultimate goal was to seduce dozens of teenage boys - as young as 13 - into online relationships.
As if that wasn't I-Belong-on-To-Catch-a-Predator enough, Burgess would then "kill off" the fake girls in tragic accidents or suicides, using other made-up personas to break the news on Facebook. Burgess would trick the teens into believing they'd found someone special and then later deliver the devastating news of their passing. The girls' online boyfriends were traumatized.
Over 40 teen boys have been identified as victims of her digital mind games, and one subsequently took his own life. Her machinations were discovered only when, in 2011, a 22-year-old woman found her own photographs in an online memorial video for one of these fake Internet girls, a girl named "Abby." Burgess was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.
Man Ends His Friend's Life For 'Poking' His Girlfriend
In 2014, Scott Humphrey, 27, of Nottinghamshire was sent to jail after he repeatedly punched his friend, Richard Rovetto, 29, in a cab on the way back from a guys' night out. Humphrey was upset because Rovetto had allegedly "poked" Humphrey's girlfriend on Facebook. Rovetto claimed that he didn't know the woman was Humphrey's girlfriend and meant no offense by the virtual flirting.
The punches reportedly caused Rovetto to become light-headed, and he passed when Humphrey pushed him to the ground, causing a fatal head injury. Humphrey received four years and four months for manslaughter.
Creepy Facebook 'Death Lists' Target Colombian Teens
In August of 2010, three Colombian teens were found shot without any obvious reason, and it was just the beginning of a digital reign of terror. Five days later, the names of the teens - and 66 others - showed up on a mysterious Facebook "death lists." The passings all took place in the town of Puerto Asis, located in Putumayo.
When another teenager named on the list was slain three days later, more lists were posted, and leaflets were placed on cars asking the families of kids on the lists to leave town within three days or see their children's lives ended.
At the time, a local named Juan David Sepulveda tweeted: "Need to protect our youth," promoting a public outcry. But the police - aside from suspecting gang activity - were at a loss. To this day, nobody knows or is willing to speak up about the responsible party or parties. The slayings stopped after most of the kids on the lists, who were predominately minors, fled town.
Wife Taken Out For Changing FB Status To Single
Even adults can succumb to the ugliness that is cyber jealousy. In 2008, 41-year-old Edward Richardson's 26-year-old wife, Sarah, decided to change her Facebook relationship status from "married" to "single." Even though they were already separated, Richardson was averse to the status change.
After their separation, Sarah decided to move back in with her parents. Later, Richardson snuck into the Staffordshire house and confronted Sarah with a knife while she slept. Following her passing, Richardson attempted to take his own life but was apprehended by authorities. He received a 17-year sentence.
MySpace 'Horrorcore' Rapper Brings His Lyrics To Life
Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey III, age 20, was a self-styled horrorcore rapper living in Castro Valley, California, with his sister. Realizing that nobody actively follows bands on Facebook, McCroskey turned to MySpace in an attempt to reach out to all the horrorcore fans looking for the next big thing. He made a connection with Emma Neiderbrock, 16, and her friend, Melanie Wells, 18.
Under the name "Syko Sam," McCroskey posted some of his musical stylings on the social platform:
You’re not the first, just to let you know / I’ve killed many people and I kill them real slow / It’s the best feeling, watching their last breath / Stabbing and stabbing till there’s nothing left
In 2009, McCroskey went to Emma's home in the small town of Farmville, Va. There, he attacked Emma and Melanie, as well as Emma's parents, Pastor Mark Neiderbrock, 50, and Dr. Debra Kelley, 53. Their bodies were found at the Neiderbrock home having been bludgeoned with a hammer and a maul while they slept. A friend and fellow horrorcore rapper claimed: "You would never, ever imagine that kid even being a suspect." McCroskey was sentenced to life in prison.
Being Grounded From MySpace Drives Teen To Patricide
In 2008, a teen from Mesa, Arizona, committed patricide. When a normal 15-year-old is forbidden to use his favorite social networking site, they might choose to go outside and play with their friends or interact with the real world. But when 15-year-old Hughstan Schlicker's father threatened to ban him from using MySpace, he ended his dad's life with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Reportedly, Schlicker had been threatening to take his own life for weeks on MySpace. On the day in question, Schlicker stayed home from school, specifically to end his father as well as himself. He decided that if his father was going to take away his Internet, he was going to take both of their lives. However, he called a friend who convinced him to turn himself in. Schlicker was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Facebook Love Triangle Results In Fatal High-Speed Car Chase
In 2010, a Facebook feud between Torrie Lynn Emery, 23, and Danielle Booth, 20, led to a deadly high-speed car chase. The two women had been fighting on Facebook for months over a guy that was in prison at the time. When Emery saw Booth driving with a friend, she pursued them across town - with her 3-year-old in the backseat. Emery rammed 21-year-old Alesha Abernathy's car several times until the car ran a red light and was hit by a dump truck. Abernathy passed instantly, and Booth was in critical condition.
Tracy Emery, Torrie's mother, said tearfully: "She made a mistake, but her intentions weren't to kill nobody. Her intentions were to fight." Emery received a sentence of 18 to 60 years for numerous charges, including child endangerment.
Schizophrenic Man Uses Facebook To Lure His Ex Into A Trap
Sarah Elston, 22, was reportedly excited to see her ex again. For the first time in months, 28-year-old Danial Garcia contacted her on Facebook to set up a meeting. While Elston, an artist in Brisbane, was looking forward to the reconciliation, her former boyfriend's intentions were sinister. Elston was unaware of Garcia's pre-existing mental health conditions, and Garcia had recently confessed his desire to commit homicide to a counselor.
In June 2008, the police were called to a disturbance at Elston's flat and then found her mutilated body. Neighbors reported that they had heard loud noises coming from the unit but didn't report it sooner because such commotion was common in their neighborhood. Garcia was arrested but found mentally unfit to stand trial. Reportedly, Garcia is a paranoid schizophrenic and will be permanently institutionalized for his crimes.
Ex-Girlfriend Gets Vengeful Over MySpace Photos
Sarah Ludemann, 18, and Rachel Wade, 19, had a particularly vicious Internet battle. In the months leading up to her murder in April 2009, Ludemann kept boasting photos of herself with her new boyfriend, Josh, even though his ex-girlfriend, Wade, repeatedly asked her to stop posting them. The two girls were harassing each other for months, including dropping threatening F-bombs into each others' voicemails. This particular voicemail transcript was played during the 2010 trial:
Please tell me Sarah why you would be a dumb-[donkey brat] and put a brand new picture of you and Josh at the beach on your MySpace. Seriously, I told you to watch your f*cking back and not to f*cking chill with him. I'm guaranteeing you that I'm going to f*cking murder you, I'm letting you know that now.
So following-up on her promise, Wade went over to Ludemann's house to continue taunting her. After an altercation, Wade stabbed Ludemann in the chest with a kitchen knife and watched her bleed out. After being sentenced to 27 years in prison, Wade revised her stance on cyber exchanges: "It's almost like you can threaten something or say whatever you want and possibly scare them and you don't have to face them at that moment."
Man Tweets About Taking Out His BFF
Childhood friends Jameg Blake and Kwame Dancy had been exchanging heated 140-character insults on Twitter for days over a woman both men liked. In December 2009, just hours before a fatal confrontation in the luxury NYC high-rise where the 22-year-olds lived on the same floor, Dancy taunted Blake online.
Dancy tweeted: "N****a is lookin for you don't think I won't give up ya address for a price betta chill asap!" Blake then used a shotgun to target his former BFF. Immediately after the murder, Blake tweeted: "R.I.P. Kwame."
Dancy's mother, Madeline Smith, expressed her distraught: "That's not a reason to shoot somebody. That's crazy. I don't know what's going on with that Twitter thing." Blake pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Teen Takes Girlfriend's Life Over MySpace Comment
It was New Year's Eve in 2009, and most teens were busy spending time with their loved ones, ringing in the new year. In Burien, WA, seasoned 16-year-old criminal Matthew Dubois was arguing with his 15-year-old girlfriend, Mikarah "Tinky" Sanders, over a comment another boy had posted to her MySpace page.
Dubois had a youthful record already spotted with theft, burglary, assault, and witness intimidation. He was so utterly thrown by the MySpace comment that, by midnight, he'd taken a .547 handgun and shot his girlfriend in the face.
It was then that Dubois had the idea to shoot himself in the shoulder so that he could blame Tinky's passing on an imaginary "gang member." His plan backfired, and Dubois - charged as an adult - was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Teen Gang Plans Public Hit On Facebook Chat
When a London teen gang of 20 decided to kill rival 15-year-old Sofyen Belamouadden, they planned the attack online. Further taking the "public sharing" theme to the next levels, the group decided to go after Sofyen while hundreds of people watched. In 2010, armed with an eclectic assortment of weapons, from samurai swords and machetes to Swiss Army knives and screwdrivers, the teens chased Sofyen across busy Victoria Tube Station before committing a 12-second long attack in front of hundreds of onlookers.
Since the assault took place in a public space, a subway station, it was captured on CCTV, which made the whole whodunit aspect of the criminal trials open and shut. In the end, three were convicted of murder, five of manslaughter, and nine on lesser chargers.Woman Passes In Car Crash After Posting A Smiley Face On Facebook
In 2014, 32-year-old Courtney Ann Sanford of North Carolina fatally crashed her car into a highway median moments after updating her Facebook status. Reportedly, Sanford posted: "The happy song makes me HAPPY." KTLA 5 reported that one of the drivers involved in the collision saw Sanford's car cross the median but was unable to maneuver out of the way.
Authorities believe that Sanford had been updating her status and taking pictures while operating her vehicle.
Teen Accurately Lists ‘Killing People’ Under Social Media Profile Interests
Amidst a digital sea of up-to-the-minute status updates, 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante of Missouri stood out from the crowd. Her Facebook profile interests even included "killing people." And she wasn’t lying. In 2009, Bustamante dug a shallow grave in advance, then stabbed her 9-year-old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten, multiple times before slitting her throat. She then hid the little girl's body.
Of the crime, Bustamante later told police that she "wanted to know what it felt like" to take a life. In her journal following the passing, Bustamante wrote that "[i]t was ahmazing." The prosecutor on the case, Mark Richardson, had "argued for life in prison, plus 71 years, accounting for the years Elizabeth lost."
Bustamante pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action. She was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole for the first charge and 30 years for the subsequent charge.
Dolphin Dies During Mob Selfie
In 2016, two Franciscana dolphins were pulled out of the ocean in Argentina. The rare dolphins were then passed around by a bunch of people on the beach at the Santa Teresita resort and used as props in the group's selfies. According to conservation specialist Vida Silvestre, the species of dolphin is susceptible to dehydration and heat. Reportedly, only 30,000 Franciscana dolphins exist.
At least one of the dolphins passed during the reckless ploy for Instagram likes by this irreverent group of tourists.
Woman Stabs Boyfriend For Being On Facebook All Day
In 2014, 23-year-old Terri-Marie Palmer stabbed her boyfriend, Damon Searson, after posting a Facebook status saying that her bf "p***** [her] off sitting on Facebook, completely blanking [her] when [she's] talking to him." In retaliation for her boyfriend's inattentive attitude while he checked messages on his phone, Palmer assaulted him with a bread knife, ending his life.
She then phoned emergency services and attempted to lie by stating her boyfriend had caused his own injury while they were "messing around" in their Lancashire caravan. The hairdresser was found guilty and given a life sentence in prison. She may be eligible for parole after 12 years.
Teen Loses Life Over Twitter Beef
In 2016, a few weeks away from graduation, an 18-year-old Indiana teen's life was taken as the result of a feud on Twitter. The tension started when Jerrold Parker tweeted at his soon-to-be assailant Devin Leggett, 19, saying that he "couldn't rap."
Not too long later, Leggett shot Parker multiple times, according to several witnesses. Leggett was charged with murder and carrying a handgun without a license.
Man Kidnapped And Stabbed Over Facebook Comment
In 2016, Arun Rao, a 24-year-old man from Bengaluru, India, posted "Hi Shishya" while chatting with one of his friends, Sandeep, on Facebook. "Shishya" means disciple, but in his particular dialect it can mean "camp follower." Somehow, this sparked an argument between the two, which escalated into tension involving a whole group of men.
A few weeks after making the comment, Sandeep and his friends approached Rao at his own home and asked to step outside to talk. When he didn't return immediately, Rao's mother went out to look for him. She found Sandeep and his buddies beating her son. Rao was then kidnapped in front of his mother, placed in a van, and repeatedly stabbed in his abdomen.
Rao's brother and his friends searched for Rao and found him bleeding out at Bagalur Cross. Rao passed while undergoing treatment at a local Baptist hospital.
17-Year-Old Takes Own Life After Being Cyber Bullied
In 2016, 17-year-old Cassandra "Cecci" Porter, a senior at West Side High School in Dayton, Idaho, took her own life after another student set up a Facebook page under a false name encouraging her to. Two weeks prior, the teen reportedly attempted to take her life due to the continued online harassment.
Thinking his daughter had recovered and the bullying had ceased, Craig Porter went out of town on business. When he returned, Cecci had passed. Her father lamented: "They just said terrible, graphic things about her and told her to kill herself."
