Serial killer lured by fake social account gets 160 years

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A serial killer has been sentenced to 160 years after friends of one victim used fake social media accounts to lure the suspect and turn him in to police.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver was sentenced Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, for killing three women and trying to kill another five years ago.

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that Wheeler-Weaver used dating apps to lure the women and then strangled them.

Prosecutors credited friends of the victim, Sarah Butler, with using social media to help police find him.

They gained access to her social media accounts, set up a fake one, lured Wheeler-Weaver to a meeting, and notified police.

Wheeler-Weaver addressed the court and said he was framed, while also denying responsibility, the Associated Press reported.

According to the news outlet, Wheeler-Weaver was sentenced for murdering three people, one attempted murder, and other counts including kidnapping, aggravated arson, and desecration of human remains.

A woman who survived the attack, Tiffany Taylor, testified at the trial by providing crucial information that helped seal Wheeler-Weaver’s fate.