When a crime has been committed, the alleged perpetrator’s photo is often shown across media sources in order to “catch the bad guy.” Most people don’t think twice about whether the person they see actually committed the crime in question. In some cases, a crime wasn’t even committed. People are growing paranoid in Larimer, Boulder, and Jackson County. With the increase in social media and online sharing, people accuse others of committing crimes with no evidence. Recently, a woman contacted the police about a man, who she accused of Burglary. News sources immediately picked up the story, maligning the “creepy guy” and sharing his face all over social media, destroying his reputation.
Accused of Burglary after Photo Found on Cell Phone
According to reports, a woman contacted the police after she found a “selfie” on her phone of a man she didn’t know. She believed the alleged burglar had snuck into her home while she put the kids to bed, took the selfie and then left her home. Soon, the “selfie burglar’s” face was plastered all over Twitter, Facebook, the TV, and online. TV host Nancy Grace announced “we’ve got to catch this creepy guy,” and went even further, stating his actions were like those of a “text book serial killer.” This kind of knee-jerk reaction is common among news media, prosecutors (Nancy Grace was a former prosecutor) District Attorneys, and police officers in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park.
[pullquote align=”center” textalign=”center” width=”100%”]People don’t often ask if a crime was actually committed. [/pullquote]But, Wait: Did the Burglary Even Happen?
It is a rare thing when the general public questions the innocence of an alleged criminal. Almost never do people stop and ask if the crime itself even occurred. In the case of the “selfie burglar,” they would have been wise to question the truth of the story. After the story of the accused burglary went public, a man in another state was surprised to see his photo all over the news in Colorado. He immediately contacted authorities and said he was the man in the photo – that a mistake had been made. The police ignored his email, however, because he lived in another state. He finally sent a letter asking them to retract the accusations to restore his reputation. Finally, the news shared the true story. The woman thought the picture of the man on her phone had been taken in her home because she recognized the drapes in the background as her own. But, when the police arrived to investigate, the realized they were not the same. Apparently, the man’s photo had gotten on her phone because the woman’s husband and the poor man had a mutual friend on Facebook. Most likely, the image was downloaded from a “suggested friends” list to her phone. The woman overacted and rashly contacted the police, making serious accusations. Because no one stopped to think logically, a man’s reputation has been muddied.
[pullquote align=”center” textalign=”center” width=”100%”]No one thought logically, and a man’s reputation is muddied.[/pullquote]Have You Been Falsely Accused of Burglary? Contact Us to Fight for Your Reputation
False accusations are thrown around all the time in Larimer, Grand, and Gilpin County. Before the age of social media, false allegations were much less damaging, but in modern times it takes a matter of seconds for a person’s face to be plastered online and on TV. If you have been falsely accused of burglary or any other criminal offense, don’t hesitate to contact one of our experienced criminal lawyers to fight for your reputation.