The interesting bit in this story below is the location tracking using Strava, which was primarily for tracking bicycling and jogging but now includes hiking. A lot of people allow themselves to be seen by others, and through the drive by option you could see all the other people who were active around you, which having played with a couple times could easily be used for stalking. When back in California, I used it to identify a professional cyclist I passed and see what routes he would ride, and I looked up this female jogger I would pass to see she did over 50 miles a week. And even though you have a privacy feature to obscure your home and work, it wouldn’t be too difficult to figure out. It is a neat feature to see what others exercising around you are doing and what routes they take, but in this day and age it’s just not wise to share location data so freely. Consequently, I now have my profile private and just use it to track my rides and miles and I don’t share my location or activities with others. To bring it all home I’ll post a humorous clip the No Agenda Show played a couple episodes ago.
GenZ find my friends location tracking.mp3
By Shiwangi Arya
A Tennessee woman, Melody Sasser, has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme aimed at eliminating her desired boyfriend’s fiancée.
Hiring a Hitman Through the Dark Web
Sasser, 48, pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities to commission the murder, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. In addition to her prison sentence, she must pay over $5,300 to the victim and serve three years of probation following her release. Prosecutors revealed that Sasser attempted to hire a hitman through the dark web site “Online Killers Market” (OKM), which falsely claimed to offer murder-for-hire services. Sasser provided detailed instructions for the planned murder of an Alabama resident who was the wife of a retired Air Force veteran.
Unfolding the Murder Plot
The federal investigation began in April 2023, after a foreign law enforcement agency alerted U.S. authorities about a murder plot. Investigators discovered messages from a user named “cattree” on OKM, who was later identified as Sasser. She had solicited the murder of the woman married to a man she desired. According to the criminal complaint, Sasser placed the order for the hit on January 11, 2023, targeting the wife in Prattville, Alabama. She supplied crucial details, including photos of the intended victim, her office location, car license plate number, and even descriptions of the couple’s home and dogs.
Sasser requested the hit to be carried out discreetly, suggesting, “It needs to seem random or an accident,” and even proposed planting drugs to avoid a lengthy investigation. Despite her efforts, by March 2023, the hit had not been completed, leading to frustration. Sasser sent a series of impatient messages to the purported hitman, expressing dissatisfaction with the delay and demanding updates.
Tracking the Victim Through a Fitness App
Federal authorities followed the money trail, tracing Sasser’s Bitcoin transactions to the dark web site. Further investigation revealed that Sasser had likely been tracking the victim’s movements through a fitness app called Strava. The app, which the victim and her husband both used, allowed Sasser to monitor their locations and provide exact times and places to the would-be hitman. This added layer of surveillance increased concerns for the victim’s safety.
Authorities interviewed the intended victim and her husband, who identified Sasser as a potential threat. According to the victim, Sasser had become enraged after learning about the couple’s engagement and their subsequent move to Alabama. The victim also reported incidents of harassment, including vandalism of her car, threatening phone calls, and Sasser’s uninvited appearance at their home in the fall of 2022, where she allegedly wished them harm.
Evidence Leading to Conviction
During a search of Sasser’s home, investigators uncovered a journal documenting her communications with the dark website and cash beneath a sticky note listing a Bitcoin address. This evidence, combined with the testimonies and financial records, sealed her fate. Sasser’s actions, driven by jealousy and obsession, ultimately led to her conviction and sentencing, bringing closure to a chilling case of digital-age crime.