SOUTH CHARLESTON, OH – An 81-year-old Ohio man faces charges in what investigators describe as the wrongful shooting of an Uber driver. William Brock believed the driver to be in cahoots with a scammer who had called him earlier.
Clark County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Kristopher Shultz explained that Brock had received a fraudulent call from someone claiming to be from the local court. The caller deceived Mr. Brock into thinking a family member had been detained and that a large sum of money was needed for their release. Subsequent calls implied a ransom demand.
The caller or an associate had arranged for an Uber driver to collect the supposed ransom from Brock’s South Charleston residence. Unbeknownst to victim Loletha Hall, 61, she was driving into a complex and dangerous situation.
Hall encountered an armed Brock upon her arrival. He seized her cell phone, preventing her from leaving the premises. Lt. Shultz reported that an unarmed Hall tried to escape, but Brock shot her once, and following further exchange and an injury to Brock’s head, he shot her two more times. Authorities were notified only after the third shot.
In the aftermath, Hall succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. The individual who ordered the Uber ride to Brock’s house remains unidentified, and Uber has banned their account since. The company has pledged its full cooperation with the authorities investigating the tragic incident.
On Monday, a grand jury indicted Brock on three counts of murder, one count of felonious assault, and one count of kidnapping. If Brock, who has been released on a $200,000 bond, is convicted of murder, he could face a sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment or a fine of $15,000.