Man, 83, convicted of killing Uber driver who he thought was scamming him

A jury has convicted an 83-year-old US man of murder after he shot an Uber driver who he wrongly thought was trying to rob him after scam phone calls deceived them both.

William J Brock, of Ohio, shot Lo-Letha Toland-Hall after assuming she was in on a plot to get 12,000 dollars (£9,000) in supposed bond money for a relative, authorities said.

She had fallen victim to the same scammer, driving to Brock’s home between Dayton and Columbus to pick up a package for delivery, according to investigators.

He shot the 61-year-old, from Columbus, six times when she showed up at his home in March 2024, authorities said.

Brock, of South Charleston, was convicted of murder, felonious assault and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

His lawyer said the shooting was in self-defence and the scammer had made threats against him and his family.

Brock told the court he felt threatened when the driver arrived at his house, but prosecutors said Ms Hall was unarmed and posed no threat when he shot her.

Investigators said the driver was unaware of the scam call Brock had received with threats and demands for money.

Clark County prosecutor Daniel Driscoll told reporters after the verdict that both families lost loved ones because of the scam.

“The really sad part about this is that we know there are still criminals out there,” he said.

“We know that the scammers, the folks who started this, haven’t been brought to justice.”