Pensioner fatally shoots Uber driver he mistakenly thought was trying to scam him

William J. Brock, 83, believed that Lo-Letha Toland-Hall, 61, was part of a scamming team duping him out of almost £9,000 when she turned up at his home to collect a package

An 83-year-old man has been convicted of murdering an innocent Uber driver in a shocking case of mistaken identity.

William J. Brock was found guilty of shooting Lo-Letha “Letha” Toland-Hall, 61, during a terrifying incident sparked by a phone scam. According to investigators, both Brock and Toland‑Hall were targeted by the same scam.

Brock received a series of calls in which someone falsely claimed that a relative had been arrested and demanded $12,000 (£8,900) for bail money. Believing the caller, Brock became convinced that he was in danger. Meanwhile, Lo-Letha was directed through the Uber app to Brock’s home in South Charleston, Ohio, to pick up a package for delivery on March 25, 2024.

Prosecutors said she was completely unaware of the scam and had no connection to the fraud calls made to Brock.

When she arrived at Brock’s house, he shot her six times outside the residence, authorities said, as prosecutors argued she posed no active threat and was unarmed.

Brock’s defence argued at trial that he acted in self‑defence, claiming fear due to the threatening scam calls.

However, jurors rejected this defence and, after deliberating just over an hour, they returned guilty verdicts on all charges.

Chilling dash-cam footage shows Brock pointing a gun outside a garage door at point blank range towards a scared and unarmed Lo-Letha. Officials noted that Lo-Letha did not understand the scam situation and had no involvement in it, reports the Associated Press.

Prosecutors emphasised that although Brock was also a victim of fraud, his actions in shooting Lo-Letha were not justified.

Brock is now scheduled for sentencing this week, where he faces the possibility of life in prison. Following the verdict, Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll said: “Both families have lost loved ones because of this, and there are no winners here.

“The really sad part about this is that we know that the scammers, the folks who started this, haven’t been brought to justice. And hopefully one day the FBI will bring those folks and we’ll be able to prosecute them right here in Clark County for what they did.”

In her obituary, Lo-Letha was remembered as a hard worker who loved cooking and had one son, Mario. “If you saw Letha, you more than likely saw Mario. Their bond was unbreakable. She has planted seeds of motherly love, encouragement, and confidence in him.

“As Mario grew and matured, Letha gave him the freedom to explore, to stumble, and to rise. Yet, through it all, she remained his steadfast guide, celebrating his victories, comforting his wounds, and always tending to his heart with tenderness and care,” it touchingly read.

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