Police Defuse Internet Rumor of Rapist Arrest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A weapon aimed at Kansas City’s serial rapist is causing confusion.  An internet rumor suggests a man is in custody.  Police stepped in quickly to separate fact from fiction.

He raped five women in five months.  Still, the serial rapist remains free.  For protection, some women bought handguns.  Others took self-defense classes.  Thousands more are using virtual weapons, like Facebook, Twitter and mass e-mail.  Online users frequently share tips, spread information about the case and create communication networks for police.

“That’s why they call them social networking sites,” said Captain Rich Lockhart, spokesman for Kansas City Police.  “Certainly we’re able to get word out in a better way now than we could before these sites were there.  However, with that comes caution.”

E-mails are flying through cyberspace suggesting police arrested a man in connection with the rapes.  On his blog Friday, Chief James Corwin said it’s only a rumor.

“A lot of people were very excited about this, thinking hey we can rest easy again,” Captain Lockhart said.  “We just want to let people know that we haven’t made an arrest.  We don’t have anybody in custody.”

“We often times get lulled into thinking that everything we read on the web is true,” said Brody Dorland, owner of Sometime Creative, Inc., a virtual marketing agency specializing in social media. 

Dorland said the power of social media can also be poison.

“If I put something out and the people within my network trust me, then automatically there’s that trust that it’s probably a true statement that he put out,” Dorland said.

So, police urge people to carefully consider their sources and to only post information you know is true.

Meanwhile, police are still looking for the serial rapist.  Anyone with information should call the TIPS hotline (816) 474-TIPS.

A Waldo salon is helping to raise the reward to catch the serial rapist.

Monday, workers at Studio 213 will offer their services for donations to the fund from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kansas City police will also be on hand to answer any safety questions.

As of Friday, the reward stands at $12,000 dollars.