True Crime Lite: The Thief Caught By His Own Snapchat Post
It's a hard life on the run. Always looking over your shoulder, wondering every moment if you're about to be caught. As increasingly difficult as it becomes to stay under police's radar, social media seems to make it even harder for some. Yes, even some fugitives from justice have profiles that they like to keep up to date. Many don't seem to understand that the World Wide Internet is just that, world wide. Everything you post can be seen by anyone at any time, even the police and their informants. Though social media can be rife with issues at times, it can also be very useful. Especially in capturing the dumbest criminals of all time.
In January 2015, according to People, 24-year-old Christopher Wallace stole a propane cooking stove and a cast iron wood-burning stove from a campsite in Pierce Pond Township in Maine. For around two months afterward the man lived on the lam and managed to keep himself quiet. That wouldn't last, though.
On March 22, he returned to his home. Afterward he messaged a friend via Snapchat to tell them that he was there. Somerset Police in Maine were tipped off to his whereabouts and made a trip to Christopher's house. There, they looked around the outside and asked a friend of his, 20-year-old Erika Hall, if he was present. They asked the girl repeatedly, to which she responded each time that Christopher was not home and had not been there in weeks.
Police had initially been unable to find him. That is, until he made a very public Snapchat post, stating that he was hiding from police inside a cabinet. Another tip led police to search the house and the kitchen cabinets. According to Time Magazine, police explained the extension of the search on their Facebook page, "A search of the kitchen cabinets turned up some food, some pots and pans, and also a pair of feet." Time also reports that earlier that same day he had made another post to Snapchat about returning home after being on the run from police for weeks.
The silky smooth Christopher Wallace was arrested on the spot after being pulled from among the canned and boxed goods. His friend, Erika Hall, was also arrested for hindering an apprehension. She had every opportunity to tell the truth as she was asked multiple times if her friend was there. She chose to lie for him anyway. I'm willing to bet he likely would not have done the same for her.
Some takeaways from this story: Stealing property from public campsites is not only illegal, it's just rude. Other people travel and pay to enjoy campsites and all they have to offer. Next, if you're on the run from police for theft, maybe don't come back home and start announcing your presence to just anyone. And finally, maybe don't post your hiding place publicly to social media while the police are still searching for you. As can be seen in many of the stories on the True Crime Mom blog, police have social media, too.