Ohio Man Convicted in Fatal Uber Shooting of Black Woman

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An 83-year-old Ohio man has been convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of an Uber driver he wrongly believed was trying to rob him.

A jury found William J. Brock of South Charleston guilty Wednesday of murder, felonious assault and kidnapping in the March 2024 killing of 61-year-old Lo-Letha Toland-Hall of Dublin. Brock is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

Authorities said Brock fatally shot Toland-Hall six times when she arrived at his home to pick up what she believed to be a batched Uber delivery. Investigators determined she had been sent through the Uber app by a scammer who had also contacted Brock, demanding $12,000 in supposed bond money for a relative and making threats against his family.

Prosecutors said Brock wrongly assumed Toland-Hall was part of the scheme. Investigators noted the driver was unarmed and unaware of the threatening phone calls Brock had received.

During the trial, Brock testified that he believed his life was in danger when Toland-Hall arrived. His attorney argued the shooting was an act of self-defense fueled by fear created by the scammer’s threats.

After the verdict, Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll said the case is one of many of financial scams.

“The really sad part about this is that we know there are still criminals out there,” Driscoll said. “We know that the scammers, the folks who started this, haven’t been brought to justice.”

His bond is currently set at $200,000.