Crime and Punishment: Who is more at fault?

[Kiwon]

A man loses much of his possessions due to a phony ad on Craigslist.

So who is more to blame, the people posting the ad or the people who carted off his stuff thinking that it was free for the taking?
.................................................. .................................................. ....

Oregon man's property ransacked after Craigslist hoax

(AP) JACKSONVILLE, Ore. -- A pair of hoax ads on Craigslist cost an Oregon man much of what he owned.

The ads popped up Saturday afternoon, saying the owner of a Jacksonville home was forced to leave the area suddenly and his belongings, including a horse, were free for the taking, said Jackson County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan.

But Robert Salisbury had no plans to leave. The independent contractor was at Emigrant Lake when he got a call from a woman who had stopped by his house to claim his horse.

On his way home he stopped a truck loaded down with his work ladders, lawn mower and weed eater.

"I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back," Salisbury said. "They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did."

The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he spotted other cars filled with his belongings.

Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his barn and front porch.

The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off. "They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true," Salisbury said. "It boggles the mind."

Jacksonville police and Jackson County sheriff's deputies arrived but by then several cars packed with Salisbury's property had fled.

He turned some license plate numbers over to police.

Michelle Easley had seen the ad that claimed Salisbury's horse had been declared abandoned by the sheriff's department and was free to a good home.

"I can't stand to see a horse suffer so I drove out there and got her," Easley said. "The horse didn't look abandoned. She is in good shape for being 32 years old."

But it looked odd, so she left a note on Salisbury's door explaining the ad. She then decided to call to make sure the ad was legitimate when the second similar ad appeared.

"I feel bad because I was a part of it," Easley said. "It felt right to call the police."

Fagan praised Easley's honestly but said prosecution was likely for anybody caught with Salisbury's property.

Items can be returned with no questions asked, Fagan said.

Detectives have contacted Craigslist's legal team to try to trace the ad.

Meanwhile, Salisbury could not even relax on his porch swing.

Someone took it.

[Scott Campbell]

So who is more to blame, the people posting the ad or the people who carted off his stuff thinking that it was free for the taking?


I'd say the person(s) posting the ads were malicious, and the people taking the stuff were probably guilty of being really stupid - which should also be criminal.

[Kiwon]

So who is more to blame, the people posting the ad or the people who carted off his stuff thinking that it was free for the taking?

I'd say the person(s) posting the ads were malicious, and the people taking the stuff were probably guilty of being really stupid - which should also be criminal.

You mean it isn't every day that someone can go to Craigslist and click on free stuff and see a house and horse being offered?

[MJZiggy]

This has happened before, to a woman, I can't remember where, but someone placed a similar ad while she was at work. I agree with Scott on this one. The person who posted it had intent, but what a bunch of morons taking his stuff. I think, though, that the woman who called him should not only be exempt from prosecution, she should be commended. No one else thought to call the owner and if she hadn't he'd have come home to an empty house.

[red]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?

[MJZiggy]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?

I don't know if you'd need to actually shoot them, but I'm sure a single shot fired in the air would do wonders (though you're probably the one who'd get arrested then.)

[GrnBay007]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out,

Your guns would already be gone. :P

[MadtownPacker]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?My thoughts exactly.

For the record, even thought the stuff was advertised as free permission to enter the home was never granted so if I recall my jailhouse schooling correctly they are all guilty of breaking & entering.

[red]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out,

Your guns would already be gone. :P

LOL, sad but probably true

those would probably be the first things to go,

those and the beer of course

[Freak Out]

Both parties are criminals and should be held accountable.

[twoseven]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?
Unless you are being threatened with severe bodily harm, the odds that you'll get away with shooting someone on your property is poor. If they are there and simply trying to get away you'd be expected to call the police and report a robbery. If anyone ever were to break into your home and you blasted them without provocation, better place a knife in their cold dead hand before the cops get there, the right to defend your home and yourself by infilicting damage and/or death with a weapon of some sort isn't as secure as people think. Even cops are not allowed to start blasting on someone until their life is threatened.

[3irty1]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?

The answer is NO. You never have the right to shoot anybody for any reason other than self defense. You would probably go to jail for the rest of your life.

[red]

well, i guess i would just have to start beating the piss out of people with a baseball bat

if it hasn't been taken already

[Little Whiskey]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out,

Your guns would already be gone. :P

Thats why I keep a couple in the truck.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out, and MULTIPLE people would be dead

in this situation, wouldn't the owner have the right to shoot the people on his property that are stealing his stuff?
Unless you are being threatened with severe bodily harm, the odds that you'll get away with shooting someone on your property is poor. If they are there and simply trying to get away you'd be expected to call the police and report a robbery. If anyone ever were to break into your home and you blasted them without provocation, better place a knife in their cold dead hand before the cops get there, the right to defend your home and yourself by infilicting damage and/or death with a weapon of some sort isn't as secure as people think. Even cops are not allowed to start blasting on someone until their life is threatened.

That is when Red and Madtown carefully place the spare handgun in the dead criminals hand...squeeze off a few rounds...then call the police in a quivering voice.

[GrnBay007]

if i came home and saw a bunch of people taking my stuff, and blowing me off when i tell them its my stuff.

MULTIPLE guns would come out,

Your guns would already be gone. :P

Thats why I keep a couple in the truck.

:lol:

[MadtownPacker]

That is when Red and Madtown carefully place the spare handgun in the dead criminals hand...squeeze off a few rounds...then call the police in a quivering voice.Thats right, shit I might even shoot myself in the arm if I have too.

Unlike Whiskey and Red I cant go hide in the mountains for the rest of my life. I need more then moonshine and possum. :lol:

[red]

That is when Red and Madtown carefully place the spare handgun in the dead criminals hand...squeeze off a few rounds...then call the police in a quivering voice.Thats right, shit I might even shoot myself in the arm if I have too.

Unlike Whiskey and Red I cant go hide in the mountains for the rest of my life. I need more then moonshine and possum. :lol:

lol

is the possum for sex or food?

i need both

[Freak Out]

Even cops are not allowed to start blasting on someone until their life is threatened.

Cops get away with that shit all to often.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Even cops are not allowed to start blasting on someone until their life is threatened.

Cops get away with that shit all to often.

True dat. And, they have all the best drugs.

[oregonpackfan]

This incident happened in Jacksonville, Oregon?

Dang, why am I always the last one to learn what goes on in my state?! GBR and MJZiggy need to pm me more often to keep me aware of the local news! :)

[MadtownPacker]

Good thing you replied to this thread OPF. Started thinking it might have been you! We all know you would be too nice to blast them.

[Little Whiskey]

That is when Red and Madtown carefully place the spare handgun in the dead criminals hand...squeeze off a few rounds...then call the police in a quivering voice.Thats right, shit I might even shoot myself in the arm if I have too.

Unlike Whiskey and Red I cant go hide in the mountains for the rest of my life. I need more then moonshine and possum. :lol:

Mad your closer to the mountain than i am.

where i live there is no need to go into hiding. think rambo. cops only screw around with out of towners

[Kiwon]

Cops nab the bad guys. Sounds like they might have been inspired from a CSI crime story - get other people to tamper with evidence and mess up the crime scene against you.

UPDATE

Cruel Craigslist Hoaxers Busted

APRIL 1--A week after dozens of people ransacked an Oregon home in response to a Craigslist ad offering its contents for free, police have arrested a couple for orchestrating the online hoax as part of a bid to cover up an earlier burglary at the property.

Brandon and Amber Herbert were nabbed last night for allegedly posting the March 22 Craigslist ad, which claimed that the Jacksonville ranch's owner had to leave town so suddenly that his belongings--which included a horse--were available for the taking.

The Herberts, investigators charge, did this to cover up their prior theft of several saddles and other items from the garage of the rural southern Oregon house, which is owned by contractor Robert Salisbury. After learning of the Craigslist ad, Salisbury returned to his property to find about 30 people rummaging through his home and remaining belongings.

After subpoenaing Craigslist records, Jackson County Sheriff's Office investigators traced the online posting to the Herberts, according to the below probable cause affidavit. As a result, Brandon, 29, and Amber, 28, were both hit with burglary and computer crime charges.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0401081horse1.html