Additional charges filed against man in killing of Uber driver he mistakenly believed was a scammer

CNN

By Danny Freeman, Fabiana Chaparro and Chris Boyette, CNN

(CNN) — An 81-year-old Ohio man pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder and other charges Wednesday related to the shooting death of an Uber driver he mistakenly believed was working with a scammer attempting to extort him, according to the Clark County prosecutor.

William Brock was previously arraigned on a murder charge for purposely causing Loletha Hall’s death. On Monday, a grand jury indicted him on that charge, as well as two new counts of felony murder, according to court records.

The two felony murder counts accuse Brock of causing Hall’s death as a result of committing or trying to commit another underlying felony: felonious assault and kidnapping, respectively. In addition to the three murder counts, he was also charged with kidnapping her and felonious assault. In all, he faces five charges.

CNN has reached out to Brock’s defense attorney, Paul Kavanagh, for comment.

Brock’s $200,000 bond continued from the one set previously in court for the original murder charge on April 10, Clark County Prosecutor Daniel P. Driscoll said.

Brock shot Hall several times outside his South Charleston home on March 25, according to a criminal complaint. Hall was taken to a local hospital where she died.

Brock told police that prior to the shooting he had received threatening phone calls from a male caller who attempted to extort money from him claiming one of Brock’s relatives was being held in jail, and then threatened him and his family.

When 61-year-old Hall arrived in her Uber at Brock’s residence, he shot her multiple times, the release states.

Brock was arrested and charged as police saw no active threat presented by Hall during the encounter, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.

Police released dashcam video obtained from Hall’s vehicle of Brock confronting her outside his home.

CNN has reached out to Hall’s family for comment.

According to the prosecutor, the judge will set Brock’s next court date in the coming weeks.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office previously said the original scam remains under investigation. On Wednesday, Driscoll declined to comment saying, “Publicizing the direction of investigation may jeopardize its outcome.”

‘A horrific tragedy’

Hall received a request on the Uber app to pick up a package from Brock’s residence, the news release states. Authorities believe she was “unfamiliar with the circumstances” surrounding the request.

Hall arrived in her Uber, and dash cam video from her car shows her getting out of the car to speak to Brock.

According to the news release, she made no demands of Brock other than to ask about the package she was sent to retrieve.

Brock was arrested and charged with murder as police saw no active threat presented by Hall during the encounter, and Brock failed to contact authorities for assistance, the sheriff’s office said.

Brock pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and posted his $200,000 bond on Wednesday, according to court documents.

Uber has been in contact with Hall’s family and law enforcement, the company said. “This is a horrific tragedy and our hearts continue to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

“We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to supporting their investigation.”

Uber has banned the account of the individual who ordered Hall’s Uber to Brock’s house, the company said. Authorities believe that individual was either the original scam caller or an accomplice, according to the release.

The company says it’s committed to the safety of Uber drivers and has developed safety features including an in-app emergency button, route sharing features and the ability to connect to a live safety agent.

It’s unclear if authorities have identified the owner of the account or made any additional arrests.

CNN has reached out to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for more information.

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