The Internet can often seem harmless, with its never-ending supply of cat videos, memes, and other distractions. But there is a dark side to all this connectivity. In some cases, social media inspired online fights that resulted in offline death. Whether those killings were committed by people who couldn't bear being humiliated publicly, or they simply snapped, these murders caused by social media are chilling.
Some social media feuds that led to murder were sparked by fights about lovers, online threats, or even a simple $20 debt. Tragically, the victims in these cases were often very young; many were teenagers. The jealousy and hurt egos of the individuals engaging in online behaviors that turned murderous make these stories all the more harrowing.
Social Media Feuds That Escalated To Offline Murders,
Twitter Insults Result In A Man Being Shot To Death
In 2009, childhood friends Kwame Dancy and Jameg Blake began arguing over a girl in Harlem. They started trading insults on Twitter, and by December 1, 2010, things escalated. Their fight ended with Dancy being fatally shot in the neck by Blake.
A Facebook Fight Becomes An Offline Stabbing
A fight about a boy on Facebook led a 16-year-old to kill her rival in Scranton, PA, in 2016. Cathleen Boyer sparred with Kayla VanWert, the mother of her lover's son, on the social media site. The two agreed to meet, but during the fight, Boyer stabbed VanWert. She later died at a hospital.
After the fight, Boyer took to Facebook again to say that she had "no remorse" for the stabbing. She was eventually arrested and charged with homicide.
A 14 Year Old Dies After A Facebook Conflict
A Facebook fight between two 14-year-old Chicago girls, who were arguing over a boy, ended with one of them being killed on April 13, 2014. Endia Martin was shot and killed by the other teenager (who is unnamed due to her age) while she walked home from the school. Another girl was wounded in the arm by the shooter.
The killer didn't act alone. Donnell Flora, the uncle of the shooter, gave her the gun so that she could commit the crime. He was sentenced to 100 years in jail for his role in the killing. Another teen, Vandetta Redwood, was originally connected to the crime as well, but was ultimately acquitted.
Spilled Milk And Facebook Fighting Turn Murderous
Kayla Henriques stabbed her friend Kamisha Richards in New York City after they fought on Facebook over a $20 debt. In February of 2011, Richards gave Henriques the money to buy diapers, milk, and other essentials for her baby. When Richards asked for her money back, the two began arguing over Facebook. When the two met in person, the fight quickly escalated: Richards threatened Henriques with a pair of scissors, while Henriques armed herself with a knife. Ultimately, Henriques killed Richards with a single blow.
Henriques was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. She pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
A Twitter Beef About Rap Skills Becomes Deadly
In February 2016, Javhonn Frazier tweeted that his friend Jerrold Parker couldn't rap. Another young man, Devin Leggett, retweeted Frazier, and Parker arranged for the two to meet to end the feud with a fight.
The two teenagers began fist-fighting in the middle of an Indianapolis street, and at some point Leggett pulled out a gun and shot Parker. Frazier then put Parker in the front seat of his car and sought help. Police arrived and rushed Parker to the hospital, but he died soon after arrival. Leggett was later arrested and charged with murder and carrying a handgun without a license.
Facebook Threats, A CIA Conspiracy, And A Brutal Murder
After moving to Mountain City, TN, and struggling to make friends, Jenelle Potter finally seemed to settle into a group that she fit in with. But her Facebook friend Billie Jean Hayworth was jealous that Potter had a crush on her boyfriend (and father of her child) Billy Payne. An online battle broke out, with Potter and Payne's cousin Jamie Curd - who also happened to be sleeping with Potter - pitted against his cousin and Hayworth.
Eventually, the Facebook threats and arguments ended when Potter, Hayworth, and Payne unfriended each other. The fight was far from resolved, though. On January 31, 2012, police found Hayworth and Payne shot in the head, with Payne's throat cut. The couple's child was in Hayworth's arms, alive.
A police investigation led to the arrest of Potter's father Marvin. In an interrogation, he told police a CIA agent told him to commit the crimes. Police later discovered that the agent was really his daughter, who had used a fake online identity to provoke her father into committing the murders. The authorities arrested Potter and her mother Barbara for making Marvin murder Hayworth and Payne. Potter's lover Curd was also charged for his role in the killings, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Potter and her mother were given life in prison, and Marvin received a double life sentence.
A Gun Battle Erupts After A Facebook Feud
On June 10, 2015, a Facebook fight led to a gun battle that left a man dead in Cincinnati. Police say that Nake’land Williams and Daysmen Latham traded keyboards for pistols after one of the men responded to a comment about a girl, saying, "Why don’t you come up and fight?" Latham found Williams, and opened fire on him and a group of people.
Latham was arrested in connection with the shooting.
A Facebook Fight Sparks A Deadly Car Chase
Two Pontiac, MI women were fighting over a paramour on Facebook, but the argument became deadly. Torrie Lynn Emery was sent to prison after an 80 mph car chase left Alesha Abernathy dead. But Abernanthy wasn't the woman Emery had been arguing with.
The incident occurred on July 20, 2010, when Emery saw her romantic rival Danielle Booth riding in the passenger seat of Abernanthy's car and began pursuing them. As the chase sped up, Abernanthy ran a red light and was hit by a truck.
Booth was critically injured in the crash, and Emery was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse - her 3 year-old had been in the car.
An Innocent Bystander Is Killed Due To Facebook Threats
Anthony Gelia was arrested on November 8, 2016 for murder, after his brother threatened him on Facebook. The crime occurred when Gelia got intoxicated and kicked in the door a home his tormenter was in. Unfortunately, others were home, too.
The accused murderer reportedly ran through the Jackson, MI home while firing a gun. One of the bullets hit Brittany Southwell while she was holding her infant son. Southwell, who lived in the home with her fiance Tyler McCravey along with Gelia's brother, died of her wounds.
When police arrested Gelia, he said he had taken pills and was intoxicated. He held a gun to his head, but officers convinced him to surrender. When police interviewed Gelia, he said that he had seen a mysterious man in the house and had shot at him. No such man was found.
A Social Media Fight Over A Boy Leads To Murder
For one teen, online fighting had deadly repercussions. Sarah Ludemann fell for a boy named Josh Camacho in her hometown of Pinellas Park, FL. While dating Ludemann, Camacho was also with a young woman named Rachel Wade, and had a son with another woman.
Wade began taunting Ludemann on Facebook and MySpace, and even threatened her life in a voicemail. After a few weeks of this, Ludemann apparently decided that enough was enough. On April 14, 2009, she and some friends went to confront Wade, but she was lying in wait with a knife. Ultimately, Ludemann died of a stab wound to the heart. Wade was convicted for the killing, and her story came full circle when a Facebook group was formed to petition for her release.