Serial killer lured on social media by a friend of a victim gets 160 years

[Jilly_in_VA]

A New Jersey man who used dating apps to lure and kill three women five years ago was sentenced Wednesday to 160 years in prison after a trial in which it was revealed that friends of one victim did their own detective work on social media to ferret out the suspect.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, 25, sat motionless as the judge gave the sentence in state court in Newark. The sentencing was preceded by emotional statements by family members of victims Robin West and Sarah Butler.

In a brief statement before they spoke, Wheeler-Weaver denied responsibility, telling Superior Court Judge Mark S. Ali that he was framed. Wheeler-Weaver’s mother, aunt and brother sat in the gallery but didn’t address the court.

The sentences covered three murders, one attempted murder and other counts including kidnapping, aggravated arson and desecration of human remains.

The Essex County prosecutor’s office had credited friends of Butler, a college student from Montclair, with using social media to help police find Wheeler-Weaver. They gained access to her social media accounts, set up a fake account, lured Wheeler-Weaver to a meeting in Montclair and notified police, according to prosecutors.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/serial-killer-lured-social-media-friend-victim-gets-160-years-rcna2656

[Demovictory9]

1. K&r

[70sEraVet]

2. Eligible for parole when he's 78, if my calculations are correct.

Should have made the sentence a little longer.

[yaesu]

3. reminds me of the movie hard candy only the killer didn't get off that easy nt

[Captain Stern]

12. Good movie. I'm surprised more people haven't seen it. n/t

[chowder66]

4. A little about 2 of the victims....

West, a 19-year-old from Philadelphia, was seen getting into a car with Wheeler-Weaver the night of Aug. 31, 2016, and was killed within the next few hours, prosecutors said. They alleged Wheeler-Weaver dumped her body in an abandoned house not far from his home in Orange, near Newark, and set the house on fire. It took about two weeks to identify her remains.

West’s mother, Anita Mason, described a sometimes headstrong young woman who often showed a softer side.

“I will never forget her smile, her face, her walk, her desire to help homeless people,” Mason said Wednesday. “The world focuses on the last month of her life. She had a whole entire life before her demise. Hundreds of people were affected by her life and were saddened by her death.”

Joanne Brown, 33, of Newark, was killed about a month after West was identified and also dumped in an abandoned house in Orange, but her body wasn’t discovered until six weeks later. Butler disappeared around Thanksgiving 2016, about a month after Brown was killed, and her remains were discovered in a wooded area four days before Brown’s body was discovered. Both women had been strangled with clothing.

On Wednesday, Butler’s father, Victor, urged the judge to give Wheeler-Weaver the maximum sentence. Then, turning to the defendant, he said:

“I hope you suffer, boy, every night.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/serial-killer-lured-social-media-friend-victim-gets-160-years-rcna2656

[chowder66]

5. A little info about 2 of the victims....

West, a 19-year-old from Philadelphia, was seen getting into a car with Wheeler-Weaver the night of Aug. 31, 2016, and was killed within the next few hours, prosecutors said. They alleged Wheeler-Weaver dumped her body in an abandoned house not far from his home in Orange, near Newark, and set the house on fire. It took about two weeks to identify her remains.

West’s mother, Anita Mason, described a sometimes headstrong young woman who often showed a softer side.

“I will never forget her smile, her face, her walk, her desire to help homeless people,” Mason said Wednesday. “The world focuses on the last month of her life. She had a whole entire life before her demise. Hundreds of people were affected by her life and were saddened by her death.”

Joanne Brown, 33, of Newark, was killed about a month after West was identified and also dumped in an abandoned house in Orange, but her body wasn’t discovered until six weeks later. Butler disappeared around Thanksgiving 2016, about a month after Brown was killed, and her remains were discovered in a wooded area four days before Brown’s body was discovered. Both women had been strangled with clothing.

On Wednesday, Butler’s father, Victor, urged the judge to give Wheeler-Weaver the maximum sentence. Then, turning to the defendant, he said:

“I hope you suffer, boy, every night.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/serial-killer-lured-social-media-friend-victim-gets-160-years-rcna2656

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. "Wheeler-Weaver's mother, aunt and brother sat in the gallery but didn't address the court"

That's an odd sentence in the article. Why would you expect relatives of someone found guilty to address the court?

[JudyM]

8. To offer arguments to mitigate his sentence.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Is that usual in the USA?

I can see that mental health professionals have a place to do that, or, maybe with relatively young offenders like this, previous educators, but the relatives of the criminal are inevitably too involved to give any kind of objective assessment of them. "He loves me, his mother" is not really a mitigating circumstance.

[obamanut2012]

11. Yes

There are usually victim-impact statements from families and friends of the deceased, and also people for the defendant, both pleading for different aspects of justice for the victim and accused. This is during the sentencing phase. I think there may be a few states now that don't tend to do this.

Matthew Shepherd's father actually asked the court to NOT give his son's killers the DP, which is unusual. I believe Sha'nann Watt's family also asked for the DP to be taken off the table if Chris Watt's pled guilty. I don't think they could handle a trial.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Victim's family impact statements I understand, and have heard of often

but it does surprise me that the criminal's family get to say that their mutual love should have a bearing (if you want evidence of otherwise good character before sentencing, surely someone objective is needed?). The examples you give are both victim relations.

[obamanut2012]

14. I tend to agree with you

Because there is already too much emotion in the justice system imo, where it has no place.

And, it is usual.

[lame54]

7. Call Lifetime

[uponit7771]

10. "Wheeler-Weaver's cellphone that placed him where the victims disappeared" WOW !!!

[XanaDUer2]

15. Kick nt