Another reason to change your Myspace privacy settings:
On August 18, 2007, Terrance Owens (“Owens”), the victim herein, and a few friends went to a club. After the club closed, Owens drove to a gas station on the corner of V. Odom Blvd. and Hawkins for his friends to purchase cigarettes.
According to testimony at trial, the gas station was a popular hangout after the bars and clubs had closed. Unable to find a parking spot, Owens pulled behind the gas station and parked his car. He testified that as he was walking toward the front of the station, he observed Stafford standing in front of a vehicle with a gun.
Stafford said something to Owens and then got into the car where another individual, Ronald Lewis, was sitting. Lewis then got out of the car with the gun and proceeded to rob Owens of his jewelry and some money. As Owens walked away he heard two gunshots. Owens then called the police.
Owens went to the police station and was shown a photo array. He identified an individual named Michael Herring as the man who robbed him. The next day, Owens called the police to inform them that he had made a mistake and that Herring was not the man who robbed him.
Owens brought the police a computer photo of Stafford and a photo of Lewis from the website Myspace. He indicated that these were the men who robbed him.
Several days later, a friend of Owens saw Lewis standing on the corner of Talbot and Lovers Lane, wearing Owens’ jewelry. Owens called the police and the police interviewed Lewis. Owens then took police photographs of himself wearing the same jewelry. Lewis was later arrested and charged with the robbery.
State v. Stafford, 2009-Ohio-701. Full text of the case is here. Emphasis is mine.
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