Man slain trying to buy car in Dallas (Sad and very serious. All should read.)

Ft Worth Star-Telegram ^ | 06/04/2007 | BILL MILLER

[devane617]

A McLennan County man was shot to death late Sunday in northeast Dallas while trying to buy a vehicle he may have found on the Internet, police said.

Police are trying to determine if the killing was a setup or random.

Christian Marton, 21, of Axtell, died at Baylor Medical Center, where he was taken after the shooting at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday in the 8900 block of Vantage Point in far northeast Dallas. Axtell is about 14 miles northeast of Waco.

"He had been talking to some people by the Internet and the telephone about purchasing a vehicle,’’ said Lt. Vernon Hale, police spokesman.

Marton and a companion subsequently went to Dallas Sunday evening to meet the sellers on Vantage Point, Hale said. The area is southwest of the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Interstate 635, also called the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway.

"They came up to that location and it ended up that someone tried to rob them,’’ Hale said. "A suspect demanded money and shot (Marton).’’

Police are trying to identify suspects in the case.

"We don’t know if it was the people trying to sell it to him or somebody saw him sitting there waiting for them,’’ Hale said.

[devane617]

A guy from Waco, 100 miles south of Dallas, made a deal to be a car via the internet. He and his girlfriend drives to Dallas towing a trailer to haul the car back to Waco. He was ambushed, and killed for the money. This is a situation that happens daily, and all should use caution when making these transactions.

[mmyers]

Craigslist is the #1 site for fraud and theft.

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[FightforFreedomCA]

Was this from Craigslist or were you just providing info?

[NonValueAdded]

Sounds like the makings of a plot for Criminal Minds. Beware if the seller insists on cash.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

“Craigslist is the #1 site for “ (insert anything here)

It’s also the #1 site for completed transactions, no doubt.

[skinkinthegrass]

...sound advice.
only make the deal @ the Courthouse/Police Station Parking lot....or no $$$$$ @ the initial meeting.

....talk about a real set-up. :/

[billybudd]

Care to provide some stats on that?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Prayers for the man and his family. May he rest in peace. And sadly, caveat emptor.

[RebelTex]

CCW is your friend.

[PGalt]

Condolences to Christian Marton’s family and friends.

[Disambiguator]

I was trying to sell a car a couple years ago, and some guy called and wanted me to drive the car 35 miles one way to where he was (in a bad part of ABQ) so he could check the car out, because he “didn’t have transportation”. I basically laughed him off and hung up the phone.

[DCPatriot]

Have bought and sold numerous items on Craigslist..without a problem.

[skinkinthegrass]

CCW is your friend....

so true, so true.
w/ "visible" back-up... :)

[GiovannaNicoletta]

bookmark

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Beware if the seller insists on cash.

Yer kidding right?

BigMack

[CCCnative]

Years ago my x-wife was selling a Porsche 912. A perspective buyer took it out for a test drive - for 5 hours across the state. The car wasn’t technically stolen ‘cause the driver was given the keys. He was finally stopped and found with a loaded pistol under the seat... Nice car though.

[NonValueAdded]

No, I’m not. A cashier’s check on a local bank, not a Nigerian one, or I’ve already been to the seller’s house to check out the vehicle first and know s/he’s on the level.

[windcliff]

ping

[Liz]

Online activity can be tracked very, very easily.

Just as an example-—an infamous serial murderer was nabbed b/c the stupid killer downloaded a map from the internet which the ignoramus sent to the police to taunt them.

The creep attempted to cover his tracks.....he had no idea how easily online activity can be traced.