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Can Social Networking Lead to Murder?

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Phoenix resident Mark Woodland, 54, was found beaten and stabbed to death in his apartment last week. Police believe he may have been murdered by 19-year-old Tommy Reed, whom Woodland met over a social network. Police apprehended Woodland’s date, Tommy Reed, 19, using the digital trail left by the two men’s correspondence. CBS News reports that the men met via an as-yet unnamed social networking site.

“The police used Woodland’s phone to track Reed’s user name, which they say matched the name he used to arrange the date with Woodland. Reed also matched a neighbor’s description of a man he reportedly saw with Woodland around 6pm.” Tommy Reed, 19, was arrested and taken to police headquarters for questioning. Phoenix police Detective James Holmes tells New Times that Reed made certain admissions – combined with other evidence – that gave police probable cause to make an arrest.

It can be very rewarding to meet someone face-to-face that you have only otherwise known online. However, you need to be smart about it. Always meet in a very public location at first. Don’t agree to immediately head off to somewhere more private. Take the time to get to know the person more thoroughly. Not everything is always as it may seem when you’re behind a computer screen.

Everything you’ll find in our software center is completely safe. You don’t even have to take it to a public location for a test-run.