SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – After a courtroom trial, William J. Brock, aged 83 and residing in South Charleston, Ohio, was found guilty of murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping in connection with the death of an Uber driver. The incident occurred in March 2024 when Brock shot 61-year-old Lo-Letha Toland-Hall, a driver from Dublin, a suburb of Columbus.
Authorities explained that Brock erroneously assumed the driver was collaborating with a scammer who had contacted him via phone calls, falsely claiming that Brock’s relative needed $12,000 posted as bond money. The Uber driver, unknown to Brock, had been ensnared by the same scammer and had driven to Brock’s house, located between Dayton and Columbus, to collect a package destined for delivery.
The driver was shot six times at Brock’s home. Although Brock argued in court that the shooting was an act of self-defense, asserting that he felt threatened due to prior threats made to him and his family by the scammer, prosecutors countered that Toland-Hall was unarmed at the time and did not constitute a threat. Investigators further clarified that Toland-Hall did not have knowledge of the scam call that Brock had received and was unaware of the circumstances leading to the shooting.
Following the jury's verdict, Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll addressed the media, emphasizing the tragedy endured by both families who lost loved ones. He highlighted the unresolved issue of criminal scammers who have not yet been held accountable for their deceptive practices and the harm caused by their actions.
Brock’s sentencing is scheduled for the following week. Efforts to obtain a statement from Brock’s legal representative have so far been unsuccessful.