The “Facebook Killer”, the man that started a multi-state manhunt, also known as Steve Stephens, killed himself Tuesday Morning in Pennsylvania.
First off, who is Steve Stephens, ya we titled him as the so called “Facebook Killer”, but why?
The “Facebook Killer” was being hunted for videotaping himself shooting Robert Godwin, a 74-year-old father of six. that is the reason he is called the Facebook killer, because he actually posted the video on Facebook and planned an afternoon press conference to release more details.
Stephens was seen in a McDonald’s parking lot in Erie County just after 11 a.m. by a member of the public who quickly called the Pennsylvania State Police. After a 2-mile chase, “troopers attempted a PIT maneuver to disable Stephens’ vehicle…As the vehicle was spinning out of control from the PIT maneuver, Stephens pulled a pistol and shot himself in the head,” a state police Facebook statement said.
“We have closure in regards to the search for Steve Stephens,” Mayor Frank Jackson said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Cleveland.
Stephens was maneuvering a white Ford Fusion, a picture of which had been circulated by police, when he was discovered.
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officials knew of no ties Stephens had to the Erie County area, but the investigation continued.
The police do not believe that anyone else became a victim to Stephens on his nearly 48 hours on the run.
Stephens’ cellphone had reportedly “pinged” in Erie, Pa., on Sunday; however, a search of the area at that time failed to unearth him and officials said the report appeared unfounded. Yet federal officials were back combing through the area again on Tuesday when Stephens killed himself.
“We are grateful this has ended,” Williams said.
A police officer involved in the pursuit of Stephens on Tuesday couldn’t stop his car in time and slid into Stephens’ vehicle, causing minor damage. No officers were injured, state police said in a statement.
Stephens’ mom, Maggie Green, said she believed he would commit suicide because he visited her house before the murder to say goodbye.
“‘Momma this will be the last time you see me…I just wanted to see you for the last time,'” Green said that Stephens told her.
Green said Stephens had an issue with gambling.
“Steve was a good Christian person…he just snapped…he had a gambling problem,” she said.
At a press conference earlier this morning, Cleveland police said they did not know where Stephens was.
Cleveland police on Monday advised residents of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and New York that Stephens could be in those states, and the manhunt for Stephens soon expanded nationwide.
Erie County, Pa., is about 100 miles northeast of Cleveland.
