Woman Travels 200+ Miles to Kill Internet Commenter

[joefro]

First of all, she didn't kill him, she failed.

Full story via: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136885&nid=119278


Wow, some people are seriously crazy.


Forget all those pleas for civility based on simple respect for other human beings. There's an even better reason to watch what you say about other people online: one of them might just snap and try to kill you. And don't assume simple things like distance or sanity will protect you.

These are the lessons of the saga of Breana Greathouse, 25, who drove several hundred miles from Kansas City, Missouri to Ottumwa, Iowa, to shoot a certain Forrest Jamison, whom she blamed for posting derogatory comments about her on the Internet. Fortunately her Midwestern odyssey, which the Coen Bros. might want to consider adapting for the screen, ended in failure when she was arrested by Ottumwa police for waving her gun around like the unhinged maniac she is.

Also, they arrested her mom, Susan Greathouse, 50, for threatening Jamison over the phone.

It's not clear just what Jamison said to provoke Greathouse to look up his address, arm herself, get in a car, and drive five hours to kill him, but it must have been pretty bad. I searched for her name on Google and came up with a bunch of links to videos with unflattering titles, like "Breanna Greathouse of Kansas City Gets Dissed UGHH," but the videos themselves had all been taken down.

Then I found what I believe may be the offending document -- a post on an online forum called UndergroundHipHop.com, dated September 23, 2010, insulting "Breanna Greathouse" in terms so vile I can't bring myself to even allude to them in circumlocutory fashion. Needless to say, this is just a hunch. But if you were looking for online comments that could plausibly make someone want to kill someone else, these fit the bill.



I love you guys. :-P

[Gunslinger-08]

This is clearly not just a case of "lolinternet."

Maybe this'll make a few people think twice about being assholes online.

[Ishia]

Maybe this'll make a few people think twice about being assholes online.
Lol, nope.

[FOkyasuta]

Talk About A Grudge. People Be Crazy These Days. Like To Much PEELS Nuts.

[BIG OLAF]

Civility....on the internet?

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

That is all.

[Randomness]

Civility....on the internet?

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

That is all.

Unfortunately, anonymity does tend to bring out the worst in people.

[BIG OLAF]

Unfortunately, anonymity does tend to bring out the worst in people.

Indeed. I, personally, try to be civil, but a horrendous, almost frightening majority of people on the 'web just cannot contain the urge to be complete and total assclowns when behind their monitors. Don't know what it is, but it'll never change.

[Nitro Vordex]

This is clearly not just a case of "lolinternet."

Maybe this'll make a few people think twice about being assholes online.
Yeah, it's more of a case of lolcrazybitches.

[Niered]

This is clearly not just a case of "lolinternet."

Maybe this'll make a few people think twice about being assholes online.

I don't feel thats the moral here. Granted, trolling is just about the most immature activity a person can partake in, but your implying that this should serve as a warning to those people, and by proxy, that this woman wasn't entirely in the wrong by attempting to murder a guy. Short of drastic threats on the other parties behalf (IM GOING TO KILL YOUR KIDS, AND I REALLY HAVE THEM RIGHT HERE, an obviously impossible situation), there is nothing that a person could say that would validate them being murdered by the party receiving the derogatory threats.

Perhaps thats now what you meant, but it certainly seemed that way from your wording.

[Shadowpawn]

The news got the story half correct. He wasn't completely anonymous to her as they had a intimate relationship prior to posting what he posted to make her do this. Just look up her name and read about it on that forum.

[Gunslinger-08]

I don't feel thats the moral here. Granted, trolling is just about the most immature activity a person can partake in, but your implying that this should serve as a warning to those people, and by proxy, that this woman wasn't entirely in the wrong by attempting to murder a guy. Short of drastic threats on the other parties behalf (IM GOING TO KILL YOUR KIDS, AND I REALLY HAVE THEM RIGHT HERE, an obviously impossible situation), there is nothing that a person could say that would validate them being murdered by the party receiving the derogatory threats.

Perhaps thats now what you meant, but it certainly seemed that way from your wording.

o_O Well, I guess it could be read as that, but that certainly wasn't what I meant.

She was entirely in the wrong. There's no disputing that. However, it's all too common that someone gets to say stuff online that they'd never have the balls to say in person, because a username won't kick your teeth out in response. Call it a forlorn hope that someone would see this situation and question whether or not being an asshole online is really fun enough to warrant that extremely small risk.

Okay, I'll admit that there's a small cynical part of me that says this guy deserved the scare he got. However, to have it suggested that I'm implying that a would-be murderer isn't entirely in the wrong does miff me. :/

[Alexandria]

Sounds like cyberbullying.

Admittedly, I lol'd if they meant that as a joke.

While the woman was undoubtedly batshit insane, and wrong in this, I can't help but feel it wasn't totally uncalled for. If you walked up to a black dude in the middle of the Bronx and said "GO BACK TO AFRICA, !" he'd bust a cap in yo ass, yo! People do feel a bit too safe on the internet with how they speak, I'd say. Not that you can do a whole lot about it. Well, other than making a cross country road trip and killing the person who trolled you.

[Tyreek]

Or those smart enough would find... Other methods using he internet lol. Well, if what this guy said is bad enough for someone to want to fill him full of holes, I'd love to see how this would top the comments on Yahoo articles. Those are well full of(every name you can call it) bigotry on all standards. Though the majority is consistent of political right/left wingers being tasteless at every possible moment.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

If you walked up to a black dude in the middle of the Bronx and said "GO BACK TO AFRICA, !" he'd bust a cap in yo ass, yo!
All Bronx black guys got da gunz?

From the story, women from the Internet do.

[FarenKar]

I'm kinda a b---- in real life, so I don't think much when it shows on the internet, probably less of one online, actually.

Interesting how society changes, though. At one point in time, you were encouraged to kill people that talked like this to you, given you had at least some semblance of status. Now, I'm all for free speech and stuff, but this guy really should think twice about what he posts online; it is possible to track any piece of data to it's source over the internet (even easier if you give out your real name and the like,) and too often people are being led to believe that their actions don't have consequences.

I do support the woman, though not her response, in this at least. A slander charge would have been less likely to land her in jail, and would have been more profitable. (But then, I'm awfully mercenary in the way I deal with things. >.< )


All Bronx black guys got da gunz?

From the story, women from the Internet do.

Yup, I'm a woman from the internetz, and I have guns. XD

[Zarode]

Maybe this'll make a few people think twice about being assholes online.

Nope, still gonna troll y'all.

[Niered]

Yeah honestly, anyone that thinks that the proper response to a verbal attack is any sort of physical confrontation is just a bit high strung.

[Powder Keg]

lol, she really :mad:.

[Alexandria]

All Bronx black guys got da gunz?


Er...well that's not quite what I meant. My point was, you don't walk into an insane asylum and start getting the patients all worked up, and expect them to sit there and take it. The woman was already emotionally unstable, obviously, and whatever the dude said must of set her off.

[Randomness]

Yeah honestly, anyone that thinks that the proper response to a verbal attack is any sort of physical confrontation is just a bit high strung.

I've heard there may still be a law in Georgia (from WAY WAY back when, just an artifact, really) that permits you to punch someone for "fighting words".

No clue if the source was accurate or its been repealed, but...

Unless you're Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc, that isn't going to kill someone.