Case of mysterious body in suitcase goes viral on TikTok, conviction exists

In a lawsuit that made headlines after TikTok refused to remove the video of the victims’ bodies, a landlord was found guilty of killing two tenants in the United States.

Michael Dudley, 64, was found guilty of murdering Jessica Lewis, 35, and Austin “Cash” Wenner, 27.

In June 2020, he shot victims and mutilated their bodies before dumping their bodies in two suitcases.

Later that month, three teens filming videos for TikTok found the bodies on the Seattle beach.

While socializing on the boardwalk, they spotted a pair of suitcases on the rocks. When they opened it, they found corpses.

Teens posted the video on TikTok, which quickly went viral.

In the images, the contents of the bags attract their attention. Then one of the suitcases appears open and one of the girls calls the police because of the strong smell coming out. There are no images of the bodies.

The discovery video has been viewed more than 30 million times, but TikTok initially said the content didn’t violate its guidelines – because it “did not include images of the ruins”.

The company was pressured by the victims’ relatives, and the video was removed from the platform a few months later – though it’s unknown whether it was deleted by TikTok or by the teenager who posted it.

The three teenagers called the police after finding the bags, leading to a murder investigation.

A neighbor testified before the Seattle court that he heard gunshots and a man pleading for his life.

The police went to the house first, but no one answered. Dudley was later arrested.

Court case documents show that Lewis and Wenner had a dispute with Dudley over an unpaid rent in their home.

Dudley’s sentence will be announced in March – he faces the most life sentences without the possibility of parole.

– This text is https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-63914425?