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5 Criminal Cases Committed Following a Facebook "Unfriend"

Unfriending someone on Facebook may be as simple as pressing a button, but the consequences frequently extend well beyond the online.

By Neo NatsuPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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5 Criminal Cases Committed Following a Facebook "Unfriend"
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Have you been unfriended on Facebook? Do you take the situation seriously, or do you ignore it because it is only a social media game? Regardless of your response to being deleted from your Facebook friends list, be careful not to go too far in expressing your discontent. Here are the five most tragic instances of unfriending crimes on Facebook, which not only resulted in bodily harm but even death.

A woman set fire to the home of a friend who had "unfriended" her on Facebook

Jennifer Christine Harris. Source: cbsnews.com

Jennifer Christine Harris, a 30-year-old teacher, was detained by Iowa, USA officials on 2011 after setting fire to a residence belonging to a lady who had deleted Jennifer from her Facebook friends list.

It all started when Jennifer exchanged remarks on Facebook with a friend called Nikki Rasmussen. Nikki, perhaps enraged by Jennifer's caustic remarks, removed Jennifer and blacklisted her from her friend list. Jennifer reacts by setting fire to Nikki's house. Nikki was fortunate to be able to save herself and her family after the sound of an explosion on a crumbling garage roof woke them up at 1 a.m.

Jennifer, according to Nikki, was upset with her because she canceled their connection on Facebook. In reality, Nikki not only unfriended Jen but also blocked her.

Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth's murder

Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth's murder. Source: Thecinemaholic.com

A peaceful Tennessee hamlet was awakened in January 2012 to the news of a horrible double killing. Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth, a young couple who lived together, were the victims. They'd been beaten up and then shot in the face. The saddest aspect was that when the bodies were discovered, their 7-month-old infant son was located in the room, covered in his mother's blood but otherwise unscathed.

Janelle felt envious since she had long admired Billie Payne Jr. and couldn't accept the reality that the guy of her dreams was already in love with someone else. Before Marvin takes severe steps to murder his daughter's troublemaker, Janelle tells Marvin many falsehoods, including that Billie Payne Jr. loves to threaten her on Facebook.

It was then discovered that Jamie and Barbara (Jenelle's mother) had been messaging and emailing with a man named Chris, who claimed to be a CIA operative tasked with protecting Jenelle at all costs. According to reports, Chris had been keeping a watch on Jenelle and was aware of the cyber-bullying and harassment she had been subjected to at the hands of Billy and Billie Jean. The police discovered that Chris had persuaded Barbara to provoke her gun-obsessed ex-marine husband Marvin into murdering the young couple. Marvin admitted to killing Billy and Billie Jean, stating he only did it to keep his daughter safe.

Three years after the killings, the court sentenced Jenelle and her mother, Barbara, to life in prison for the first-degree murders of Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth in 2015. Both women are presently serving life terms at the Tennessee Prison for Women and will be eligible for release in 2072. Marvin Potter, in the meantime, is serving two life terms at the Whiteville Correctional Facility and will be available for release in 2132.

A man killed himself after getting a message on Facebook telling him to "go and die" from a woman who had stopped being his Facebook friend

Simon Foxley. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Simon Foxley, a 21-year-old British man from Gloucestershire, was killed. The teen musician killed himself after the girl he liked on Facebook stopped being his friend.

Simon developed feelings for the girl after meeting her on the social networking site. When he revealed his love sentiments to her, she 'unfriended' him, deleting him from the list of people who could access her profile page and photos.

Simon attempts to persuade the girl to accept him, but his efforts are futile, and the girl eventually gives up and tells Simon to "go die." That's what Simon did after his father discovered him hanging in their garden. His father, Graham, 56, and his 18-year-old brother, David, discovered his body.

Simon was able to write a message in which he said he was sorry that the girl didn't like him and said goodbye to the people he had left behind.

In his suicide note, he wrote: "Thank you for everything that you have done for me. I hope you all make the most of your lives and cherish the people and the moments you share with them. I can't say sorry enough times for it to be the slightest bit good."

After being unfriended, a transgender person strikes his partner

William Hanz De Veyra Arriesgado. Source: Asiaone.com

William Hanz De Veyra Arriesgado, or just William, was a 25-year-old transgender Filipino woman who fell in love with a 47-year-old Australian man named Colin Peady.

In February 2012, William got into a disagreement with James when he changed his Facebook status from 'engaged' to'single.' Arriesgado had also been removed from James' Facebook friend list. After the two argued, Colin left William in a tavern on Duxton Road in Changi, Singapore.

William follows Colin to his residence and convinces him to let him in. The situation settled down again until an argument erupted, prompting William to assault Colin with a 20 cm long knife found in the bedroom and repeatedly stab and slice Mr. Peady.

As James hobbled out of the home, Arriesgado resumed assaulting him, only this time she was equipped with a pair of scissors and a metal fork.

In November 2013, a 25-year-old Filipino who underwent a sex change but was unable to alter her name due to the restrictions of her country was sentenced to two years in prison in November 2013 for inflicting her Australian boyfriend severe harm.

A woman unfriends a man on Facebook, so he slaughters her chickens

Shane Barrett. Source: Metro.co.uk

When a woman stopped being his Facebook friend, he got even by cutting off the heads of her chickens.

Tanya Vincent was shocked to discover the decapitated remains of her beloved cats, Queenie, Shy, and Dancer, on her porch after reporting them stolen. The fourth, Rosie, was severely hurt but survived and was re-homed.

Shane Barrett, a homeless 30-year-old man, got a sentence of nine weeks in jail that was put off for a year.

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About the Creator

Neo Natsu

"One arrow alone can be easily broken but many arrows are indestructible" ~Genghis Khan~

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