Ohio Man, 83, Convicted of Killing an Uber Driver He Wrongly Believed

Photo by U.S. National Archives / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

William J. Brock, 83, was convicted of murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping by an Ohio jury for the March 2024 killing of 61-year-old Uber driver Lo-Letha Toland-Hall in Clark County, Ohio. Brock faces a potential life sentence under Ohio law. Sentencing had not yet taken place at the time of reporting.

What Happened

According to prosecutors, Toland-Hall was working as an Uber driver when she was dispatched to Brock’s home. Investigators said Brock had been targeted by phone scammers posing as law enforcement or financial officials, who pressured him into believing his $12,000 was at risk and that the Uber driver was somehow connected to the scheme. Brock forced Toland-Hall to drive him to multiple locations as he attempted to resolve what he believed was a threat. At no point did Toland-Hall have any involvement in the scam calls. The encounter ended when Brock shot and killed her. Prosecutors said: “This was a complete stranger simply doing her job.”

Defense and Verdict

Brock’s defense team pointed to his age and the confusion caused by the scam calls, arguing he acted out of fear after being manipulated by criminals. Jurors rejected those arguments. The guilty verdict indicated the jury agreed with prosecutors that Brock’s actions went beyond any reasonable response to a perceived threat. Toland-Hall’s family described her as a hardworking woman who was simply trying to earn a living when she was killed.

References: Ohio Man Convicted of Killing Uber Driver He Wrongly Thought Was Robbing Him in Scam Calls | Trial begins for 83-year-old man charged in deadly shooting of Uber driver | Uber driver scam shooting verdict