Murder Caught On Facebook Live
Another murder was caught on Facebook Live, this time in Wingate North Carolina. The victim was Prentis Robinson and was well known in the community based on his daily use of the Facebook Live feature.
Robinson used the social media platform to air his grievances dealing with neighborhood crime and specifically drug dealers in the neighborhood. One of the alleged drug dealers called out in one of Robinson’s videos, Douglas Colson, is believed to be Robinson’s killer. Colson turned himself in Tuesday morning and has been charged with the murder.
Last summer in Cleveland, Ohio another murder captured on Facebook live lead to nationwide manhunt for Steve Stephens after he shot Robert Godwin in cold blood. Stephens eventually took his own life in his car as police were closing in around him.
Prentis Robinson rarely went a day without using Facebook Live — his favorite way of broadcasting his music, his personal vendettas and, authorities said, his suspicions about who in the town was dealing drugs.
On Monday he was live-streaming video on Facebook as usual, recording himself with a selfie stick, wearing one of the straw cowboy hats he often donned in videos. He talked about how his phone was stolen as he walked around Wingate, N.C., the town southeast of Charlotte where he lived. He stopped by police headquarters to check in with Chief Donnie Gay.
Moments later, Robinson’s Facebook Live stream showed his horrifying death, in real time.
It happened about 5½ minutes into the video, when Robinson was approached by a man holding a long black object.
He jumped, suddenly startled, and informed the person off screen that he was recording.
“You on live,” he said, pivoting the camera. “You on live.”
Then, gunshots.
The camera fell, landing face up. The rest of Robinson’s final video showed treetops, the sky and a brief flash of the fleeing suspect.
A car could be seen pulling over at the edge of the screen, after the driver or a passenger apparently spotted Robinson.
The 55-year-old was found with several gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Late Monday, police identified the suspected gunman as Douglas Cleveland Colson, 60.
Police had interviewed Colson on Monday, shortly after the shooting, but he wasn’t arrested, the Observer reported. But authorities got more information later in the day and obtained murder warrants, the newspaper said.
Colson turned himself in to police on Tuesday morning and has been charged with first-degree murder, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.
The two men had history.
Last week, Colson was the subject of a profanity- and insult-filled Facebook Live tirade Robinson made.
In the post, which still remained on Robinson’s page Tuesday, he accused Colson of selling drugs in Wingate, and “always [snitching] on the little young boys and get them [jail] time and stuff.”
Robinson and Colson had apparently known each other for decades, according to the video, and Robinson said that as a teenager, he’d dated the woman Colson later married.
“Doug all I say to you is die and go to hell,” Robinson said. “You gonna burn in hell. You burning so bad inside your skin is turning darker every year.”
Police have not said what they believe led up to Robinson’s death, or whether that video was a factor. A dispatcher reached at the Wingate Police Department on Tuesday told The Washington Post that no one was immediately available to comment.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
