Snapchat, Facebook Messages Used in Murder Investigation Leading to the Arrest of Two Men
Snapchat and Facebook messages marked a trail that led Florida law enforcement to arrest two suspects in a robbery and multiple homicide case.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office made their report public on Wednesday, June 28, detailing how a second suspect has been arrested for the murder of two men in Greenacres, according to the Palm Beach Post.
In the Sheriff's Office report, Wellington resident Rahsaan Jerome was arrested for his conspiracy in the plan to rob the two victims, according to a record of a Snapchat conversation. The April 27 robbery resulted in the deaths of Matthew Makartis, 22, and Markus Stukes, 21, from gunshot wounds.
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The first suspect, Scott Cinevert, was arrested earlier on June 13 on charges of two counts of murder and robbery with a firearm. Law enforcement says that Cinevert has planned the robbery with 20-year-old Jerome the night before the shootings.
Their messages sent via social media has been turned in as evidence for their scheduled court appearance on July 13.
Jerome and Cinevert have arranged a deal with Makartis, one of the victims, and have agreed to buy one-fourth pounds of marijuana at Bowman Park, the site of the killings. The two suspects "came prepared with multiple firearms," according to the Sheriff's report.
The case against the two suspects was built from witness accounts, as well as Facebook message records, cellular data and Snapchat records to connect the two to the robbery and murders, according to the statement.
Jerome, meanwhile, denies the allegations. He told investigators that he has no memory of going to the Bowman Park on that date, and he continued his denial even as he was told that his phone was found in the area.
This development comes at a time when Snapchat is rolling out an update that adds a mapping feature to the social media app. The new maps show the location of Snapchat users, according to the International Business Times.
