Authorities in Tennessee say a couple was allegedly shot dead in their home because they “unfriended” a woman on Facebook.
The victims, Billy Clay Payne Jr. and Billie Jean Hayworth, had recently deleted Jenelle Potter from their friends list on Facebook.
Following the “unfriending,” Marvin Potter, the 60-year-old father of Jenelle, shot the couple in the head and slit Payne Jr.’s throat.
Their bodies were discovered by a neighbor around five hours later.
According to reports, Mr Payne was found in his bedroom while Miss Hayworth was discovered in the nursery, where her eight-month old baby was found unharmed in her arms.
Also charged in the murders is Marvin’s friend, 38-year-old Jamie Curd, who was said to have had romantic feelings for Jenelle.
Jenelle Potter lives at home with her parents and is “constantly on Facebook,” local Sheriff Mike Reece told Reuters.
“We’ve had murders, but nothing like this. This is just senseless,” Reece said, adding that Potter has a history of getting angry when people de-friend her on Facebook.
According to court documents, on May 7, 2011, another woman actually took Potter to court. Lindsey Thomas filed a telephone harassment complaint against Potter.
“Jenelle Potter whom I’ve never met has been harassing me for months now,” Thomas said in her affidavit of complaint. “She has called my phone anywhere from 5-20 times a day. I have asked her on more than one occasion to quit calling me, but have had no luck. This all started because I deleted her off my Facebook. She continues to lie and say stuff about me all over her Facebook. I have proof of Phone calls and stuff on Facebook.”
The Payne-Hayworth killing took place a month ago, but local police arrested the two men responsible on Tuesday and charged them with two counts of first degree murder on Wednesday.
The men were arraigned Wednesday; Marvin remains in jail on a $200,000 bond while Jamie’s is set at $1.5 million.
Curd and Potter are slated to return to court March 7.
Here is a local news report on the recent slayings of Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth:
Is Facebook something that consumes an unhealthy amount of your time? Have you found yourself angry/hurt/devastated after being “de-friended” by someone?
via Huffington Post
