A US Woman Is Accused Of Murder After Hunting Down Her Stolen Car & The Debate Is Intense
A woman is facing first-degree murder charges in Missouri after tracking down her stolen car and confronting the person inside, in a case that's dividing opinions online.
Demesha Coleman, 35, of Spanish Lake, Missouri, was arrested late Wednesday after a shootout at a gas station in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports.
This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.
Joseph Farrar, 49, and Darius Jackson, 19, were killed in the shoutout, while another man survived despite being shot in the head, police told the paper.
Coleman later told police that she showed up at the gas station with a gun in order to confront the person who stole her Hyundai Tucson, according to a police report obtained by the Dispatch.
Surveillance video from the gas station shows the woman and an unidentified man approaching the Hyundai and its occupant with guns, local station KMOV reports. The woman allegedly shot first and then the two sides started shooting at one another.
The other man involved in the shootout has not been identified at this point.
It's unclear which of the victims was the alleged car thief. However, police and Farrar's family told local station KDSK that he was an innocent bystander in the whole thing.
Coleman was charged on Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree assault.
The incident has sparked plenty of conversation online.
"The real question is if multiple citizens can relatively quickly track down their own stolen vehicles, wtf is the police's excuse?" wrote one user in a thread on Twitter.
"I don't condone settling problems with a gun, but I understand her anger and frustration," wrote another.
"Going to jail for getting your sh*t back is crazy," said a third person.
Farrar's family told KDSK that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Somebody else's mess killed my brother," his sister said.
Coleman is being held without bond and her next appearance in court is scheduled for December 29, according to court records.
The case has yet to be tested in court.
This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
