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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 19 april 2017
Facebook killer takes his own life as police close in

Continued from front

The chilling video was on
Facebook for three hours
before it was taken down.
It was just the latest in-
stance of crime footage
being shared on social me-
dia.
At a Silicon Valley con-
ference Tuesday, Face-
book CEO Mark Zucker-
berg briefly addressed the
Cleveland case, saying
Facebook has “a lot of
work to do” and “we will
keep doing all we can to
prevent tragedies like this.”
Police would not specu-
late on what triggered the
killing, but in the video and
other footage he posted, Pennsylvania State Police investigate the scene where Steve Stephens, the suspect in the random
Stephens talked about killing of a Cleveland retiree posted on Facebook, was found shot dead Tuesday, April 18, 2017,
having trouble with his in Erie. Pa. Acting on a tip, Pennsylvania State Police spotted Stephens, 37, in Erie County, in the
girlfriend and losing every- state’s northwest corner, and went after him. After a brief chase, he took his own life, authorities
thing he had to gambling. said.
He said he “just snapped.” (Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP)
One of Godwin’s daugh- state troopers weren’t far
ters, Debbie Godwin, said behind.
she wished Stephens had Wheeler said she fol-
been captured. lowed the chase and saw
“I’m not happy he’s dead a trooper clip Stephens’
at all, not at all. If you did rear bumper. His car did a
it, you have to face your half-turn and came to rest
crime,” she said. against the curb, and she
The break in the case heard a gunshot, she said.
came when police re- She then saw officers ap-
ceived a tip that Stephens proach the car.
was at the McDonald’s in The officer closest to the
Erie, in far western Pennsyl- car “just shook his head,”
vania about 100 miles east she said.
of Cleveland, where he or- “They had their guns out,
dered a 20-piece Chicken but when he shook his
McNuggets and fries. head, they lowered their
The drive-thru attendant guns.”
thought she recognized Police said it wasn’t clear
Stephens and called state whether Stephens had any
police, restaurant owner help while he was on the
Thomas DuCharme Jr. told run or where he had been
the Erie Times-News. State and that investigators will
Police Maj. William Teper Jr. try to retrace his steps.
would say only that the tip Stephens’ cellphone had
came from a “concerned been tracked Sunday af-
citizen.” ternoon near Erie, officials
The McDonald’s employ- said on Monday.
ees tried to “buy some Facebook said it removed
time for the cops” by tell- the video of the shooting
ing Stephens his fries were 23 minutes after learning of
delayed, but he said he it. The company has since
had no time to wait and announced it is launch-
drove off, according to ing a review for reporting
DuCharme. harmful content.
Police picked up the trail in “This is something that
a chase that lasted 2 miles should not have been
before Stephens took his shared around the world.
own life, authorities said. Period,” Cleveland’s po-
Gail Wheeler, of Erie, said lice chief said.
she was stopped at a light In the video, Stephens told
at the McDonald’s when Godwin the name of his
Stephens came “whipping girlfriend and said, “She’s
out” of the parking lot, the reason that this is about
nearly hitting her. She said to happen to you.” q