Steve Stephens.
The manhunt for accused Facebook killer Steve “Stevie Steve” Stephens has gone national, but there’s no sign that the wanted Cleveland man has ended up in Virginia.
That’s the account from police in that state after someone posted threats on Facebook under the name “Stevie Steve,” according to WTVR-TV.
The Facebook threat said “Yall Virginia people ready to die?” the television station reported. It contained a photo of Stephens from his actual Facebook site, but it’s easy for anyone to make a Facebook page. Although Virginia State Police directed the TV station to federal authorities conducting the multi-state manhunt for Stephens, sources told WTVR “that there is no reason to believe accused Facebook killer Steve Stephens was in Virginia.”
Police: No evidence Facebook killer Steve Stephens is in Virginia t.co/a9cljUKNbV via @CBS6
Meanwhile, other sightings and clues to Stephens’ whereabouts focused on Pennsylvania.
Police in Cleveland, Ohio do say that it’s possible Facebook video murder suspect Steve “Stevie Steve” Stephens may no longer be in that state.
They issued an alert for residents of the following states (Virginia is not one of them), saying that Stephens might be headed there: Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania schools were locked down as police investigated citizen reports of Stephens sightings in a park in that city on April 17. However, they had found no evidence he was actually in Philadelphia. Police in Philly were investigating sightings in Fairmount Park:
Statement on police activity in Fairmount Park regarding Cleveland Ohio homicide suspect Steve Stephens
“Residents of states of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan asked to be on alert,” Cleveland police said. On the afternoon of April 17, police said on Twitter that the search for Stephens was a “national search.”
Chief Williams: This is now a national search for Steve. We will leave no stone unturned.
In a morning press conference on April 17, Cleveland police, the FBI and the mayor of Cleveland said that they don’t know where Stephens is. The chief said dozens of locations had been searched to no avail but pledged that efforts to locate Stephens are “unceasing.” Authorities did not answer a reporter’s question asking whether it was true that Stephens’ cell phone had pinged off a tower in Erie, Pennsylvania. CNN reported that Erie police said they had no information about such a ping.
Stephens is accused of killing an elderly man he didn’t know, Robert Godwin Sr., and then posting the horrifying video on Facebook.
The real man we should be talking about.
RIP Robert Godwin Sr.
Death should not come in this way. 😭
#Cleveland #SteveStephens
The viral video shows Stephens approaching Godwin randomly on the street and shooting him because he says he’s angry at his girlfriend, Joy Lane.
Police have not said why they suspect Stephens might be headed to those listed states. They say that Stephens is “armed and dangerous” and should not be approached if spotted. Instead, people are urged to call 911. There is now a $50,000 reward for information leading to Stephens’ capture.
Steve Stephens. (Facebook)
Stephens also alleged that he had murdered other people in an “Easter Sunday Massacre” because he was upset with his girlfriend, but police have not found any evidence of that despite sweeps of vacant homes.
This is a photo police in Cleveland, Ohio initially released of Stevens’ vehicle. It’s not known whether he’s still driving it, though.
UPDATE Homicide suspect Steve Stephens’ actual vehicle has Ohio Temp tag E363630
They also released a photo of him:
Actual photo of Steve Stephens, homicide suspect’s, actual vehicle. Please call 9-1-1 if seen. Plate not yet available.
The police description of Stephens is as follows: “Suspect in this case is a bm Steve Stephens 6’1 244 bald with a full beard. Wearing dark blue and grey or black striped polo shirt. Driving a white Ford Fusion with a temp tag. Armed and dangerous. If seen call 9-1-1. Do not approach.”
You can read more about Godwin here:
Learn more about Stephens here:
