MySpace Date Murder

[bloodrayne]

Death Brings To Mind Web Dangers

Man is charged with killing date he met on MySpace

Maryland - In a case that highlights the potential dangers of popular Internet sites as a way for young people to meet, a biochemistry major at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was charged Wednesday with beating to death a woman while on a date arranged through the Website MySpace.com.

The student, John Christopher Gaumer, led police to the woman's body in a wooded area near a ramp leading from Interstate 95 to the Beltway near Arbutus, authorities said. Gaumer, who is charged with first-degree murder, and the woman were on their first date when she was killed in late December, according to police.

The two were arguing on the side of the highway exit ramp when Gaumer, 22, pushed the woman over a guardrail and beat her, according to police. The woman, Josie Phyllis Brown, 27, had been missing since Dec. 29.

The two met on a social networking site that enables people to post pictures of themselves in online "profiles" that can be viewed by others. The popularity of such sites -- others include Friendster.com and Facebook.com -- has exploded in the past two years.

But seeking romance through the Web can carry hazards that go beyond the risks of meeting someone in a bar or club.

"We've just got people who've never done this before who are doing it, and they're not using their safeguards," said Parry Aftab, executive director of wiredsafety.org, a nonprofit that offers Internet safety advice. "I've been doing this 10 years, and I am seriously alarmed at the trends."

"I think that people tend to get intimate faster online because they don't have to worry about protecting themselves physically from risk," she said. "They don't have to worry about being judged. They're so thrilled about being accepted that they tend to jump in too quickly with both feet."

Kim Leisey, an assistant vice president of Student Affairs at UMBC said the university offers advice to students on safety issues.

"I think everyone needs to be cautious when they use the Internet, especially when they arrange to meet folks," she said. "But to tell students to stop using Facebook and MySpace or the Internet is a naive position to take."

Kathleen McCrory, a junior at the school, said people put too much personal information about themselves on MySpace. But she said she has many friends who use that site and facebook.com.

Gaumer was living in privately owned housing on the university campus when he was arrested Tuesday. A university spokesman said Gaumer's parents withdrew him from the school Wednesday.

On what is believed to be Gaumer's profile on MySpace, a man describes himself as a UMBC student and government contractor, and former football player. Gaumer, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 230 pounds. Police described Brown as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. Gaumer also wrote that he had attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, Prince George's Community College and College of Southern Maryland, and mentions recently competing in a 5K run.

A personal page believed to be Gaumer's on Facebook.com describes him as a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. His hometown is listed as Waldorf. According to that profile, his interests include sports, computers, music and movies.

On the profile believed to be Brown's on MySpace, a woman describes herself as 27 and divorced, and as "fun, energetic, outgoing and straight to the point with a devilish sarcastic fun side."

"I just want to meet cool people," she wrote.

The woman writes of having a daughter on that profile. She lived in the Hampden area of the city.

Joe Jamison, who said he had been her friend for about four years, described her as "laid-back and funny." He said she had worked as a waitress but more recently had been doing odd jobs, including baby-sitting. Her daughter, he said, is about 7.

He said he talked to Brown on Dec. 29.

"She said she was going to call me the next day to tell me how the date went," Jamison said.

"She was just one of those girls that had been outgoing and had been real unlucky in long-term relationships," he added. "She just wanted to find someone who was like-minded."

[Yellow Jacket]

See this is why I don't join sites like MySpace. They always hook you up with the crazy fucks like this guy.

[mothermold]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
On what is believed to be Gaumer's profile on MySpace, a man describes himself as a UMBC student and government contractor, and former football player. Gaumer, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 230 pounds. Police described Brown as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds.

this guy's a bullshit artist who in the real world probably could'nt get laid with a 100$ bill hanging out of his zipper.

sites like myspace are a godsend for socially mal-adjusted mildly retarded losers like this guy.don't get me wrong these sites do serve a function and help alot of people....unfortunately it's a package deal in that it gives assholes like this guy a helping hand.