83-year-old man convicted of murder for shooting Uber driver he claimed was scamming him

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (TCN) -- An 83-year-old man has been convicted of murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping in relation to the fatal shooting of an Uber driver he believed was scamming him. 

On Jan. 13, a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict in the trial of William Brock, 83, after less than two hours of deliberation, WKEF reports.

On March 25, 2024, Brock shot 61-year-old Lo-Letha Hall, an Uber driver who came to his home to pick up a package for delivery, The Associated Press reports. 

Brock had received a scam phone call that morning regarding an incarcerated relative, which then escalated into a demand for money, the AP reported at the time. 

CBS News reports the unknown caller told Brock his nephew was in jail and he needed to pay $12,000 to get him out. The caller then reportedly threatened to kill Brock and his nephew if he didn’t pay.

While on the phone with the scammer, Hall, a local Uber driver, got a request to pick up a package at Brock’s address. The AP reports Hall was not aware of the scam. 

When Hall arrived at Brock’s home, he held her at gunpoint, demanding that she tell him who had spoken to him on the phone earlier. He took her cellphone, refused to let her leave, and shot her three times when she tried to get into her car. According to the AP, Brock then called 911 to say that he had shot a woman who had tried to rob him. 

Bodycam footage from responding officers shows $12,000 on a table, the AP reports. Brock reportedly said, “I’m sure glad to see you guys out here because I’ve been on this phone for a couple hours with this guy trying to say to me I had a nephew in jail and had a wreck in Charleston and just kept hanging on and needing bond money,” Brock said. “And this woman was supposed to get it.”

He was indicted for murder, assault, and kidnapping, and was released from jail after posting $200,000 bail, per the AP.

CBS News reports the account of the person who ordered the car to Brock’s house was banned from the app.

The AP describes the situation as a grandparent scam. Anthony Pratkanis, a psychology professor who specializes in fraud crimes, said that in such cases, criminals get details about someone on social media and use that information to confuse loved ones, the AP reports.
 
WKEF reports Brock is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21.

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