Information Security News: Spam King and Family Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/spam-king-and-f.html

By Kim Zetter 
Threat Level
Wired.com
July 24, 2008

Edward Davidson, who was known as the "spam king" (although the moniker 
has been given to nearly ever spammer who has ever been caught) has been 
found dead in Colorado, along with his wife and three-year-old child, 
apparently in a murder-suicide. Another child approximately seven months 
old was found unhurt, and a teenage daughter had been shot in the neck 
by a bullet but managed to run away.

Davidson had escaped from a minimum-security facility on Sunday -- 
essentially a work camp -- allegedly with help from his wife.

Authorities estimate Davidson made at least $3.5 million from spamming 
activities conducted by his company Power Promoters between 2003 and 
2006. He'd been sentenced in April to 21 months in prison for tax 
evasion and falsifying e-mail headers on spam advertising low-cost high 
risk penny stocks that he sent out on behalf of an unnamed Houston 
company. He'd also been ordered to pay $714,139 to the Internal Revenue 
Service.


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