Why attorneys want cellphone tower records in trial over Ohio Uber driver's death

SOUTH CHARLESTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- The beginning of October brought movement in an Ohio court case over an Uber driver's killing, with the suspect's attorneys wanting more information on scammers that harassed him immediately beforehand.

Attorneys for William Brock, 82, had previously filed a motion requesting a court order against cellphone carrier AT&T. A Clark County Common Pleas Court judge granted that request on Oct. 2, meaning the company will have to provide a wide range of the victim's data for the defense to potentially use as evidence.

Brock's lawyers requested cell tower data including longitude and latitude coordinates, cell identity and location data from Jan. 1 to April 1 for Lo-Letha Hall's phone number. Hall, a 61-year-old Uber driver sent to Brock's home on a March 25 assignment, died after Brock confronted her in his driveway with a revolver.

Before Hall arrived at Brock's home near South Charleston, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said at least one member of a scam group had been calling the elderly man. The scammer -- who later impersonated a police officer on another call with a deputy -- told Brock one of his relatives was in jail and demanded money. Separately, the same scammer or an accomplice placed an order on Uber, sending Hall to pick up a package at the house.

The sheriff's office previously said that Hall was unaware of the calls Brock received before she drove to his home. But in the defense team's request for the court order, Brock's attorneys implied that they were investigating the possibility of a connection between Hall and the scammers beyond an Uber request.

"The basis for the belief originates from a discrepancy in the facts as known by the defendant and the information provided by Uber," defense attorney John Paul Rion wrote in his motion. "Mr. Brock was informed of the gender of the person and a description of the vehicle associated with the attempted theft over one hour prior to Uber stating that ... the driver and the leader of the theft ring made contact."

Brock's lawyers previously received permission to subpoena Uber for all "non-content" records from Hall's account, as well as her billing transaction history in the six weeks before March 25. Presiding Judge Douglas Rastatter also approved a separate motion from the defense, where they asked for access to Hall's phone, her phone's SIM card, and the same dashcam from her car that recorded the armed confrontation. However, he set conditions for them to receive what they asked for, including that they file a document with several details like who would test the devices for the defense, and how.

After Hall approached Brock's home and asked about the package she was sent to pick up, Brock held her at gunpoint and demanded to know the identities of the scammers, according to the sheriff's office. He also took Hall’s phone to prevent her from making calls, and only called 911 himself after shooting the Uber driver multiple times when she tried to get back in her car.

Brock is set to go on trial for three counts of murder, one count of felonious assault and another for felony kidnapping on April 14. The trial was previously set for Sept. 9, but docket records showed the court rescheduled due to a "need to further investigate the case, and need to file additional pre-trial motions."