Alva James-Johnson: Evil present in real and virtual worlds
With all the wonders of the Internet, there's one thing that can't be ignored: Not everybody in cyberspace has good intentions.
Just this week, we were reminded of that fact when a Marietta, Ga., couple was found dead in Telfair County, about 150 miles southeast of Columbus. Elrey "Bud" Runion, 69, and his 66-year-old wife, June, traveled to the area to see a 1996 Ford Mustang convertible advertised on Craigslist. On Monday, they were found, both shot in the head, on a stretch of dirt surrounded by pine trees.
The suspect in the crime is Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns, a 28-year-old resident of a small farming town who allegedly lured the Runions to the area under false pretense. If what appears to have occurred is indeed true, then this is a chilling case of cold-blooded murders.
What would cause somebody to be so cruel, so calculating, is beyond comprehension. But there's nothing new under the sun, and evil is always present.
The Internet has made our lives so convenient. We can socialize, date, shop and carpool all through the virtual world.
But technology also makes us more vulnerable to predators, and it's important to always be on guard.
Craigslist, for those who don't know, is a classified website that advertises jobs, housing, personals, things for sale, items wanted, as well as a wide range of services. More than 40 slayings and 30 convicted killers have been linked to Craigslist, according to a 2014 report issued by the AIM Group, a consulting service for interactive media and classified advertising. CBS News reported that in the wake of the Runion murders, some police departments across the country are opening their stations for people to safely conduct transactions initiated online.
On the Craigslist website, there's a warning that says: "The overwhelming majority of Craigslist users are trustworthy and well-intentioned. With billions of human interactions facilitated, the incidence of violent crime is extremely low. Nevertheless, please take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline."
Those precautions include meeting strangers only in a public place, not inviting strangers to your home, being careful when buying and selling high-value items, taking a cellphone, having a friend accompany you and letting a friend or relative know where you're going.
And scams aren't only a problem online. This week, I also heard from an elderly man in Columbus who was scammed out of thousands of dollars after giving a stranger a ride. The person, who is still very alert and astute, was somehow tricked into withdrawing the money out of his bank account. I suspect it was a case of hypnosis, which I heard a lot about growing up in New York City.
Whether on the Internet or on the streets of Columbus, we have to remember: There are evildoers lurking about, seeking to do us harm. And we just have to be careful.
Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.
This story was originally published January 29, 2015 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: Evil present in real and virtual worlds."