An Ohio man has been charged with murder after fatally shooting a female Uber driver. 81-year-old William Brock killed Loletha Hall on March 25 after mistakenly believing that she was working with a scammer and attempting to extort him, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.
Brock shot Hall, 61, multiple times outside his South Charleston home, a criminal complaint stated. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she died.
What led to the murder?
Brock later claimed that before the incident, a male caller had told him one of Brock’s relatives was being held in jail and urged Brock to wire money for the relative’s bond. The caller allegedly threatened to harm Brock and his family after he refused.
Brock shot Hall when she arrived at his residence in her Uber. He allegedly feared that she was linked to the scam caller and would kill him and his family, a 911 call Brock made after the shooting revealed. Dashcam video released by cops showed the moment Brock confronted Hall outside his home.
"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," Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff's Office said, according to NBC Los Angeles. "The calls turned from 'I'm an officer in the court' to 'We have this subject hostage, this is a ransom demand.'"
{{/usCountry}}"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," Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff's Office said, according to NBC Los Angeles. "The calls turned from 'I'm an officer in the court' to 'We have this subject hostage, this is a ransom demand.'"
{{/usCountry}}Hall turned up at Brock’s residence after receiving a request on the Uber app to pick up a package. Brock then confronted her and snatched her cellphone away, refusing to let her get in her vehicle.
“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." As per the sheriff's office and a complaint filed in Clark County Municipal Court, Hall neither threatened or assaulted Brock, nor had a weapon.
Uber said in a statement that it had spoken with Hall’s family. "This is a horrific tragedy and our hearts continue to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve," an Uber spokesperson said. "We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to supporting their investigation."
Initially, Brock was arraigned on a murder charge in the Municipal Court of Clark County and subsequently posted a $200,000 bond. He could be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison or a $15,000 fine if convicted.