MySpace gives clues to cops

Durham police find photos of an arsenal on suspect's site

DURHAM -- Detectives are using the social networking sites MySpace and Facebook to help make their case against a Durham teen charged with killing another teenager and shooting two others.

Deamonte Tavaris Brooks, 18, is charged with murder in the Nov. 8 death of Nathan Elmore, 18, during a party at a townhouse on Glendale Avenue. Brooks is also charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, in the shootings of Christopher Hunter, 16, and James Downey, 21.

Search warrants made public Thursday show that investigators with the Durham Police Department accessed user accounts at MySpace.com and Facebook.com seeking evidence in the case.

One of the warrants says a handgun was seized after a search of a residence matching the home address given on Brooks' arrest warrant.

"Upon further investigation it was discovered the suspect had a MySpace account and had photos of the possible murder weapon along with comments and messages that may be related to this crime," wrote Investigator M. Soucie in the search warrant executed Dec. 18. "The MySpace account was viewed and did in fact contain photos of the suspect holding several weapons."

The warrant does not mention Brooks by name, but the MySpace user identification number listed in the warrant matches that for his online profile.

On his MySpace page, Brooks posted photos of himself posing with an arsenal that includes two sawed-off shotguns, an assault rifle and a semi-automatic handgun.

The page is titled "Crip Swag" and makes numerous mentions of Brooks' affiliation with the Crips street gang.

He is shown in the photos flashing gang signs and wearing the group's signature navy blue. There are also close-up photos of a silver handgun resting on a blue bandanna. The warrant suggests that the handgun could be the murder weapon.

Brooks last signed on to his MySpace account on Nov. 8, the day of the shootings. He described his mood as "crazy."

Besides Elmore, a second victim died at the party that night. No one has been charged in the death of Shelton Henderson Jr., 19.

Henderson was the younger brother of Demario Atwater, 22, one of two suspects charged in the March slaying of Eve Carson, student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill. Shortly before he was gunned down, Henderson testified before a federal grand jury that indicted his brother on carjacking and felony firearms charges.

Kammie Michael, spokeswoman for the Durham police, said in e-mail Thursday that she could not comment on a current investigation.

Electronic trail

Turning to Internet sites favored by young people for clues in crimes is becoming an essential skill for both detectives and journalists. After the November murder of Matthew Silliman, senior at Apex High School, the Facebook and MySpace pages of the victim and the four teens arrested in the case provided insight into a tight circle of friends, what music they listened to and how they viewed their place in society.

Though Brooks has been held in the Durham County jail since his arrest Nov. 9, his online friends have continued to leave messages of admiration and support on his MySpace page.

A masked man wearing a blue bandanna offers Brooks "Some Crip Luv."

"Hey boo," writes a female friend. "I cant believe u did dat rit after i seen u. im sorry. well i love u dee. im praying for u. ima try to go see u wit ya mom. love you."

A 17-year-old girl identifying herself as a close friend of Brooks urges "Free Deamonte."

Possible witnesses

The search warrants released Thursday indicate investigators have been monitoring the messages for leads on potential witnesses who might have information about the shootings.

Police also used a warrant to gain access to the Facebook page of Dylan Shaquan Turner, 17, who was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor after the killings. The warrant indicates Turner was using the site to talk about the shootings with his friends.

Access to Turner's Facebook page was blocked Thursday, but like Brooks', his MySpace page includes references to the Crips and incudes photos of him wearing the gang's colors and flashing signs that identify him as a member.

Turner pleaded guilty to the weapons charge Dec. 17 and forfeited the firearm in his possession to police as evidence, according to court records.