Kotaku: Murder

Man and Niece Killed for a PS3 and a Tattoo, Prosecutors Say

Brian Crecente — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

The brutal murders of a 7-year-old girl and her uncle were apparently spurred by a tattoo-loving gunman and a plot to pay off his next bit of ink with game consoles, according to Indianapolis prosecutors. More »

Man Deploys 'Madden Defense' to Beat Murder Rap

Owen Good — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EDT

A man on trial in North Carolina for killing his pregnant fiancée says he could not have been the killer, and is using a screen capture from a game of Madden NFL as his alibi. More »

Look Out Naughty Bear, Here Comes Chucky

Mike Fahey — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:00:00 EDT

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A2M's Naughty Bear, a video game about a deranged child's toy with murder in its heart, wasn't the blockbuster success I hoped it would be. Perhaps the concept just needed to be powered by a familiar face. After that it's all Child's Play. More »

Man Pleads Guilty To Killing His Cousin Over Scarface: The World Is Yours

Mike Fahey — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:20:00 EDT

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22-year-old Alejandro Garcia of Corpus Christi, Texas, will spend the next 15 to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2007 shooting death of his younger cousin over whose turn it was to play Scarface: The World is Yours. More »

Stolen PS3 Leads Cops to Double Murder Suspect

Owen Good — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EDT

A man suspected of a double homicide eluded police for two months, until a PlayStation 3 stolen from the victims' home turned up and led authorities to an arrest. More »

A Look at L.A. Noire's Investigations and Interrogations

Brian Crecente — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:20:00 EST

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L.A. Noire will have you picking through the misery and gore of unsettling murders. Then you confront suspects and witnesses with your findings. More »

Suspect Compares British Shooting Spree To Grand Theft Auto

Mike Fahey — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST

Qhuram Awan was either an unwilling hostage or a willing accomplice during Raoul Moat's 2010 crime spree that left one dead and two seriously wounded. Speaking to Newcastle Crown Court, Awan recalls the event was "like a video game." More »

Gaming Addicted Woman Strangles Toddler, Leaves His Body On Floor For Three Days

Owen Good — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Here's a story full of holiday cheer: A Korean woman, who'd just finished a four-hour social gaming session when her 3-year-old urinated on the floor, strangled the toddler and left his body to decompose in the home for three days. More »

Halo, A Backstreet Boy, A Naked Woman, And A Madman

Mike Fahey — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

Artist Tyler Shields brings together the Backstreet Boys' Aj McLean, Madmen's Michael Gladis, an attractive naked woman, and Halo in a twisted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and murder. Check out Shield's website for some NSFW stills from the shoot. More »

Man Jailed For Life Over Murder Of Xbox-Interrupting Child

Mike Fahey — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:20:00 EST

Gary Alcock was playing video games in his girlfriend's flat in Oldham, England in January when the woman's 15-month-old daughter interrupted him with her crying. His reaction was swift, brutal, and ultimately deadly. More »

Detectives Explore Video Game Fantasy As Motive For Brutal Teen Murder

Mike Fahey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:40:00 EDT

Detectives in Seattle look to Dungeons and Dragons Online for answers to why, according to police, an 18-year-old high school student choked a 16-year-old developmentally disabled teen girl to death last Tuesday. Warning, the details of the crime are disturbing. More »

Killer Gets Two Life Sentences in Xbox-Motivated Murder

Owen Good — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT

A Colorado Springs teen who killed a developmentally disabled man - investigators said he wanted the guy's Xbox - will spend the rest of his life in prison for it. More »

Man Accused Of Killing Kitten For Unplugging Game Console

Mike Fahey — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EDT

A Virginia man faces charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty and disorderly conduct after allegedly hurling his girlfriend's kitten against the wall after it disconnected the video game he was playing. More »

Brother Stabs Brother Over Video Game Argument

Mike Fahey — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:20:00 EDT

From Chile comes another tragic tale of a sibling murdered over a video game console. More »

Argument Over Game Blamed as Nine-Year-Old Stabbed to Death

Owen Good — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Police and relatives say an argument over Tony Hawk: Ride precipitated a shocking murder in New York; Anthony Maldonado, 9, (pictured) who got a PS3 for Christmas, was stabbed in the chest by an enraged 25-year-old early New Year's Day. More »

Happy Holidays From The Sims 3

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:20:00 EST

EA's Top 10 Reasons to Give The Sims 3 this Holiday video shows that its much easier to get away with arson, peeping, murder, and sleeping with your friends mom in The Sims 3. How festive! More »

Video Game Obsession Cited In Halo Shooter's Lenient Sentencing

Mike Fahey — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EDT

An Ohio judge has granted Daniel Petric a lenient sentence today, citing the teen's video game addiction to Halo 3 as a potential contributing factor in the 2007 shooting that left his mother dead. More »

Sailor Shot Dead During Video Game

Mike Fahey — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT

A gaming session ended in death on Wednesday, as Clinton Echols allegedly pointed a gun at his fellow sailor and fired it while playing an unspecified military video game. More »

How Seriously Should We Take Game Addiction?

AJ Glasser — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:40:00 EST

A Chinese gamer swallows razor blades in a suicide attempt, Daniel Petric shoots his mom and Brandon Crisp runs away from home – anyone see a pattern here? More »

Petric Convicted Of Halo 3 Inspired Matricide

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:20:00 EST

Daniel Petric, the Ohio teen who shot and killed his mother over a dispute involving Halo 3, was convicted today of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and other charges related to the heinous crime. More »

The Duck Hunt Dog Finally Goes Too Far

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

It's bad enough when a pixellated hound dog is overly critical towards your duck hunting skills, but when he starts in on your job situation and your sexual performance, things have gone too far. More »

Teen Shot Parents Because They Took Away Halo 3

Mike Fahey — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:20:00 EST

Prosecutors at the murder trial of 17-year-old Daniel Petric claim that the teen shot both of his parents, killing his mother, because they wouldn't let him play Halo 3. More »

Japanese Woman Jailed After Killing Virtual Husband

Mike Fahey — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:40:00 EDT

A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher found herself in jail after viciously murdering her ex-husband...in MapleStory. According to reports, the woman's virtual, big-headed anime husband suddenly divorced her in mid-May, which lead to her logging on with the 33-year-old man's username and password and deleting his character. When the man discovered the death of his character, he called the police. The alleged virtual murderer has now been jailed for suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, which could carry a five-year prison sentence or a fine of up to $5,000. More »

Man Arrested Over Advance Wars Forum Murder

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:40:00 EDT

A German gamer has been arrested near Frankfurt on suspicion of involvement in the death of a British student, Matthew Pyke. The unnamed suspect is believed to have had a disagreement with Pyke on Wars Central - a forum for fans of the Advance Wars series that Pyke moderated. Police allege that the 21 year old man traveled to Nottingham, UK, and gained entry to Pyke's flat where he stabbed the 20 year old student to death. Pyke's body was discovered last Friday by his girlfriend, also a site moderator. Computer gamer held over student's killing[Guardian] More »

Wisconsin Teens Charged With Murder Over Xbox

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:30:15 EDT

Apparently, there's still some confusion over whether the ownership of owning a video game console is worth spending the rest of your natural life in prison over. In another sad case of humanity sucking, two Kenosha, Wisconsin teens have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Their prize? An Xbox. More »

Suspect Arrested In San Antonio EB Murder

Mike Fahey — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:20:00 EDT

In January 2007 we reported on the murder of Amber Belken, a 24-year-old EB manager for a San Antonio, Texas area EB Games store. Belken entered her store around 9AM on January 29th, 2007 only be be found dead - suffocated with a plastic bag - around 2PM when EB managers arrived on the scene to see why she hadn't been answering the phone. Now, over a year and a half later, police finally have a suspect in custody. More »

NinjaBee - Now With More Keflings

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:40:00 EDT

What better way to introduce your new city-building sim for Xbox Live Arcade than by by brutally murdering one of the characters on video? NinjaBee, the creators of Outpost Kaloki X and Band of Bugs, have crafted this twisted tale of betrayal and death in honor of A Kingdom for Keflings, which I am assuming features the titular and currently unseen creatures helping you, the player, create a kingdom. It seems NinjaBee just wasn't sure what to do with the little buggers once production entered the home stretch. More »

Grisly Beheading Blamed On Hitman

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT

18-year-old Jean Pierre Orlewicz is currently on trial for first-degree premeditated murder, after he and a friend ambushed 26-year-old Daniel Sorenson last November, stabbing him multiple times in the back before sawing off his head and burning his body. After the prosecution spent the better part of yesterday describing a young man fixated on committing a crime, the defense revealed the real reason behind the teen's murderous drive. Hitman. A CNN reported had obviously never played the game.

They dealt with it with a videogame called Hitman that he used to watch, and it was a video game where you got impressions that you would kill somebody - hit them from their backside, where they were not aware that they were being killed.

If he wore a snappy suit and tie and shaved his head bald before committing the crime, then maybe - just maybe this would have a chance in hell of working. As it stands I suspect the defense attorneys got Hitman and Manhunt mixed up and were forced to run with it. Ridiculous. More »

15-Year-Old Killed For Not Passing Game

Mike Fahey — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:40:00 EDT

When 15-year-old Olivier Baptiste refused to hand over the video game he was playing to his 18-year-old friend William Suarez, Suarez pulled out a .32-caliber Smith and Wesson from his waistband and shot Baptiste in the head. This according to police, who have charged the alleged killer with manslaughter, illegal possession of a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. More »

Mortal Kombat Murder A Misnomer

torif — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:07:00 EDT

Some may remember the horrific murder of a seven-year-old girl last December. Supposedly, her death was caused by the girl's 16-year-old babysitter, Heather Trujillio, and her 17-year-old boyfriend, Lamar Roberts, when they acted out "Mortal Kombat style" fighting moves on her after having played the game, eventually killing her. Now, a statement from Garcia's aunt and former stepmother has suggested that video games had very little to do with the death, and it was the negative influence of Roberts that led her to commit such a heinous crime:
More »

Game Obsession Blamed in Xbox Baby Murder Trial

Brian Crecente — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:00:30 EST

Video game obsession is what lead to the beating death of 17-month-old Alayiah Turman, an Assistant District Attorney said yesterday in the closing arguments of Tyrone Spellman's murder trial. More »

GameStop Manager Killed During Robbery

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:20:21 EDT

A robbery at the GameStop on Cobb Parkway South in Marietta, Georgia left the store manger dead. A man apparently entered the store around closing time, waited for the last of the customers to leave, and then pulled a gun. Using duct tape the suspect tied up the store manager, Matthew Chery, as well as a fellow employee, as well as the employee's father who arrived during the robbery to pick up his child from work. The suspect escaped with video games, DVDs, and consoles, leaving the three bound with tape over their mouths. Between the time the robber left and the police arrived, the 21 year-old store manager had died, possibly as a result of the duct tape gag, though police are still investigating. The suspect fled the seen with his loot, stealing Matthew Cherry's red 2004 Honda Civic LX in the process. More »

PS3 Kills Xbox 360

Kim Phu — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:40:00 EDT

Like a bad Sunday afternoon rerun of a Poroit, this mystery starts off with the usual suspects: kids, a confined PS3, an exposed XBOX 360, and mucking around on a typical morning. This, of course, becomes a recipe for murder and as John Davidson finds out that the motive was simply one entertainment unit wasn't big enough for the both of them. As one child accidently turns on the PS3 while the Xbox is being actively played, unforeseen events unfold: More »

Lineage II Gamer Kicks Player to Death

Brian Crecente — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:00:30 EST

Click to view More »

EB Clerk Murdered

Brian Crecente — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:52:46 EST

A San Antonio EB Games Clerk ws found dead in the store Monday afternoon, police there said. More »

Criminal Investigation Into Radio Wii Death

Mike Fahey — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:40:27 EST

A criminal investigation has been launched by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department into the tragic water intoxication death of Jennifer Strange (left, with her family), who died hours after participating in KDND-FM's "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest. This follows the firing of 10 of the radio station's employees, including the three morning DJs, and the cancellation of the morning show. More »

Trial Set For Xbox Baby Killer

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 23:40:35 EST

Tyrone Spellman, 25, will stand trial for the September murder of Alayiah Turman whom he beat to death after the 17-month old girl knocked over his Xbox 360. While playing a game of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Alayiah pulled the console down with the attached controller. Spellman then "popped her in the face and then tossed her in the chair", killing her. More »

PS3: Strange as Fiction

Brian Crecente — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 20:00:11 EST

An already short in supply, high in demand product gets even less stock than expected and all hell breaks loose. Sound familiar? More »

Montreal Gunman Played Super Columbine Massacre

kotaku.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 13:40:26 EDT

It's a pretty distressing day for gaming. First, Tyrone Spellman beat a 17 month old child to death when she knocked over his console. And now, news reports indicate that Kimveer Gill — the gunman responsible for yesterday's Montreal shooting spree — was influenced by the home-brew game Super Columbine Massacre. More »

Philadelphia Man Kills Baby Over Video Game

kotaku.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 09:40:21 EDT

This story is really astonishingly sad. More »