- The Verdict: False The images in the viral posts show individuals arrested in the US for different cases, not in the UK.
What is the claim?
Several Facebook users have shared mugshots of three individuals claiming that they are “serial killers” who are roaming around the UK neighbourhoods, vandalising properties and attacking people.
One such post (archived here) shared an image of a bald man identifying him as “Lloyd Strack” and stated that he is a serial killer on the run in Oldham, a town in England’s Greater Manchester. The caption alleged that he knocks on people’s doors, claiming to be homeless, seeking help, and attacks people after gaining trust. It also claimed that he stabbed a 37-year-old single mother with a knife.
Another post (archived here and here) shows a man with tattoos on his face, and the caption reads, “HELP FIND HIM — A Dangerous Hispanic Serial Killer Ronald Edwards (32) is on the run after killing 2 female police officers on Saturday here in #exeter Warn others.” The post further claimed he has been vandalising vehicles and attacking people.
Similarly, another Facebook post (archived here) shared a photo of a bearded bald man, claiming he is a serial killer on the run in London. The caption identified him as “35-year-old Anthony Russell”, stating he knocks on doors, poses as a homeless man, and later attacks people.
However, we found that the viral pictures show individuals arrested in the United States, and the posts are likely scams.
What did we find?
A reverse image search of the viral pictures directed us to social media posts and news reports confirming that these individuals were arrested in various cases in the US, not in the UK.
Picture 1
The first image of the bald man was included in a report published by CBS News on November 17, 2022, titled, “Sheriff's detectives searching for suspect in connection with fatal beating outside Clements bar.” The report explained that the picture was released by sheriff's detectives in California’s San Joaquin County, who were looking for the man in a murder case and identified him as 36-year-old Jason Blasingame.
It added that the man is the third suspect in a case where 45-year-old Steven Buchan Jr was fatally beaten outside a bar in Clements. Reportedly, during the investigation, sheriff’s department detectives identified three suspects involved in the incident. Two of them, 43-year-old Lloyd Strack and 39-year-old Aaron Davis were arrested and lodged at the San Joaquin County Jail, and the third suspect, Blasingame, was still on the run.
An AOL report also included similar details and the viral picture identifying the man as Blasingame, not Lloyd Strack, as claimed in the viral posts. Another AOL report published in December 2023 noted that Blasingame was once arrested in 2006 and added that all three suspects were sentenced to six years of imprisonment in 2022.
Picture 2
A photograph of the man with tattoos on his face was released by Tulsa police (archived here) on December 1, 2023. The post identified the man as Chazre Camacho, who was arrested in a robbery case. The caption read, “ROBBERY ARREST. Chazre Camacho was arrested on 11/29 for a robbery on 10/21. The victim was hit over the head with a metal pipe and robbed of his phone and electric bike. Victim needed staples in his head. (sic)”
Picture 3
An image of a bald and bearded man was also shared on the Tulsa Police’s Facebook page (archived here) on October 24, 2024. The post stated that a suspect, 31-year-old Anthony Russell, was taken into custody for the murder of 35-year-old Tasha Shepard, who was found dead from a “gunshot wound” at a bus stop in Tulsa on October 23, 2024.
The man’s image was also included in a report published by News Channel 8 Tulsa, an ABC News affiliate, which stated that he was arrested for killing a woman on Cherry Street. While the viral post correctly identified his name, it falsely claimed he was a serial killer on the run in the UK.
The evidence above confirms that all three individuals have been falsely labelled as serial killers roaming the UK.
Furthermore, a Google search for serial killers on the run in the UK did not yield any credible recent reports identifying these individuals or mentioning sightings of them in the country. Similarly, a broader search for any serial killers on the run in recent days did not produce relevant results.
Additionally, the Facebook posts appear to be coordinated, following a similar format, with only names and locations being altered. Such posts are common scamming tactics phishers use, encouraging users to share and comment on the image. Later, they often edit (archived here) the captions to include a malicious link.
Logically Facts has also reported on such scams like fake Aldi and FTX giveaways.
The verdict
The viral Facebook posts claiming to show serial killers roaming the UK are false. The individuals were actually arrested in the US in unrelated cases. Such posts are often scams, designed to trick users into sharing them, and later are edited to include giveaways with phishing links.
This report first appeared on logicallyfacts.com, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.