We’ve heard about Facebook bullying and Twitter being used by NY gangs, but this will be the first time the service has been brought in as evidence in a murder trial.
According to the DailyNews, the case revolves around a beef that begun on Twitter between two friends who grew up together. The beef online swept onto the streets of Harlem and ended with one being murdered.
The tweets between accused killer Jameg Blake, 22 and “friend” victim Kwame Dancy (picture right), 22, are now to be used in court as key evidence.
Dancy was killed by a shotgun blast to the neck on Dec. 1. Blake, who lived on the same floor as Dancy, was arrested two days later. Charged with murder, he pleaded not guilty Wednesday and was held without bail.
Hours before the shooting, Dancy reportedly taunted Blake with a tweet: “N—–s is lookin for u don’t think I won’t give up ya address for a price betta chill asap!” Blake’s Twitter account also full of online threats, the only one to mention his name came on Dec 3rd: “R.I.P. Kwame”.
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Possibly attempting to establish a cover, Blake also showed up at the hospital after the shooting and hugged Dancy’s bereaved father. Besides their Twitter-beef, the two had fought previously, and publicly, over a woman.
Dancy’s mother, Madeline Smith, is appalled and disgusted that an Internet word war could have lead to her sons murder. “That’s not a reason to shoot somebody,” she said “That’s crazy. I don’t know what’s going on with that Twitter thing.”
Clearly, twitter are aware of how influential its service might be to law enforcement, providing an email direct exclusively for them, found on its contact page.
Both accounts on Twitter have now been suspended.
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