A Clark County, Ohio, jury convicted an elderly man of murder in the shooting death of an Uber driver whom he misperceived as trying to rob him after both had received scam phone calls.
William Brock, 83, fatally shot Lo-Letha Toland-Hall, 61, of Dublin, Ohio, six times when she arrived at his South Charleston home on March 25, 2024, because he assumed she was part of a plot to secure $12,000 for a purported relative’s bond.
Brock’s attorney Paul Kavanagh did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
“The really sad part about this is that we know there are still criminals out there,” Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll told reporters after the verdict. “We know that the scammers, the folks who started this, haven’t been brought to justice.”
Although Brock pled not guilty, he was convicted of murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping last week on Jan. 14.
The scam, commonly known as grandparent fraud, involves exploiting older people’s concern for their family by falsely claiming to be a loved one in need of funds.
“Basically what the criminal is doing is taking advantage of our human nature,” University of California-Santa Cruz emeritus psychology professor Anthony Pratkanis said. “You’re in a panic state ... high emotional arousal. It’s a fear appeal and the best way to get rid of that fear is to give the criminal that money.”
In Brock’s case, Hall received a ride request on the Uber app to pick up a package from Brock’s house for delivery while the elderly man was on the phone with the scammer.
Authorities said Hall was unaware of the calls made to Brock and that the Uber request was likely the same scam caller or an accomplice.
“Upon being contacted by Ms. Hall, Mr. Brock produced a gun and held her at gunpoint, making demands for identities of the subjects he had spoken with on the phone,” the Clark County Sheriff’s office said.
Hall, who was unarmed, did not threaten or make any demands of Brock, law enforcement officials said, but Brock took Hall’s cellphone and would not allow her to depart.
When Hall tried to get back into her car, law enforcement said Brock shot her multiple times during subsequent scuffles. Brock called 911 after he fired the third shot and Hall was taken to a hospital but later died there from her wounds.
Neither Uber company leaders nor the Clark County Sheriff’s office responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.