Uber is helping investigators look into account that sent driver to Ohio home where she was killed
Uber is helping investigators probe the account that sent a driver to the Ohio home where an 81-year-old man allegedly shot and killed the woman because he mistakenly believed she was part of a scam, the ride-hailing company said Wednesday.
The death of Loletha Hall on March 25 is “a horrific tragedy,” and that account has since been banned, an Uber spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “Our hearts remain with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve.”
William J. Brock was indicted Monday on charges of murder, assault and kidnapping in Hall’s death. Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday for him and for his attorney, Paul Kavanagh of Springfield, Ohio.
The grand jury also said a gun seized from Brock’s home, a .22-caliber revolver, could be forfeited. Brock has pleaded not guilty.
Police said Brock called 911 before noon to say he had shot someone in his South Charleston home, claiming Hall had tried to rob him. Investigators later said the driver was unaware of the scam call Brock had received involving threats and demands for money, citing an incarcerated family member.
Hall “made no threats or attacks toward Mr. Brock, or made any demands, other than asking about the package she was supposed to pick up through the Uber app,” the Clark County Sheriff’s Office wrote in an April 11 news release. The police department said Brock “produced a gun and held her at gunpoint, making demands as to the identities of the subjects he spoke to on the phone.”
Police have said the Hall’s Uber ride to pick up a package was ordered by the same person who defrauded Brock, or by an accomplice. Uber’s statement released Wednesday said the company has provided information to assist investigators.
Brock is accused of taking Hall’s cell phone and not letting her leave, then shooting her to death as she tried to get into her car. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating “the original scam call made to Mr. Brock by the male subject” and the package delivery order through the app.
Brock shot Hall twice more, suffering minor head injuries himself during the confrontation, and then called 911, police said. Hall, who police said was not armed, later died at a hospital.
He posted $200,000 bail and was released from the Clark County Jail on Wednesday.