Facebook Alibi: Rodney Bradford Wrote Facebook Message During Robbery, Released From Jail

NEW YORK — A 19-year-old New York City man arrested on robbery charges has been exonerated thanks to his Facebook page.

Rodney Bradford was held for 12 days on suspicion of robbing two people on Oct. 17 in the Brooklyn public housing complex where he lives.

Bradford and witnesses insisted he was innocent. They said he was at his father's Harlem apartment when the crime occurred.

A playful message was posted on Bradford's Facebook page one minute before the robbery. In it, he asked his girlfriend where his pancakes were.

Prosecutors dropped the charges after Facebook verified the words had been typed from a computer at his father's building.

Comments

[skunky93]

What if he asked someone to type it in for him at precisely that time so that it would give him an alibi?

I'm just saying..

Maybe they could have listened to him the first day and made him empty his stomach to test for pancakes? No..wait....he could have easily eaten pancakes just bc that part of his alibi.

hmm. This is interesting.

[Prefect]

Nah, having a second person involved means collusion. Here is a much easier way to set up your Facebook status update so you can go and commit crimes:

http://praetorianprefect.com/archives/2009/11/the-perfect-crime-the-perfect-alibi-my-facebook-status/

BTW, we have no idea whether this person is innocent or guilty, only that Facebook should not have played a role in determining this either way.

[GoshJosh]

Were we (America) not based on the principle of innocence until guilt was proven? What made them hold him almost 2 weeks?

[jl4141]

I'm sure it's because someone had identified him as the robber. And I wound think that the prosecutors considered the unreliability of that particular identification when they decided to dismiss the charges in light of the Facebook alibi.

[antara]

And how many more haven't been convicted of the crimes they did commit?

[amdezurik]

what?

[jl4141]

I, for one, stole a can of tuna from a supermarket in 1982, and never got caught. And yourself?

[dct1999]

I'm calling America's Most Wanted, you're a criminal mastermind.

[skunky93]

NOT THE TUNA!!!

[dct1999]

Yes, let's throw innocent 19 year olds in jail because someone else has gotten away with a crime. Brilliant.

[captainkirk]

but what of the pancakes?

[Eris23]

THE CAKE IS A LIE!

[lovechild454]

You mean why is there silverware in the pancake drawer?

[TellMeSumn]

How many more have been convicted of crimes they did not commit?

[alarmbell]

That was my first thought as well. Actually, I first read this on the New York Post, and all the comments there are against this kid, saying that he told someone his password and told them to use Facebook while he was actually committing the crime, and that everyone is going to use this as a way to get out of jail soon. But until proven otherwise, I'm on the kid's side. In fact, even Metrocards have been used to save people from prosecution, when it was determined that a man had used his card to get on the subway during the time of an attack.

[Reito Hikari]

Really? I mean, computers nowadays remember user and passwords... someone else could've posted that message using his account. That argument is very flawed.

[Charles1Goodwin]

Im sure there was more evidence than just the message. Most criminals are not smart or organized enough to create alibis while they are committing the crime. There were likely witnesses saying he was at his fathers house, the computer message was just corroborating evidence.

[Reito Hikari]

very true, but this article made it seem like it was THAT easy...