Texas man facing 99-year prison sentence rescued by mother's casual selfie
Christopher Precopia was facing a 99-year prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, accused of a first-degree felony burglary and a brutal attack on his ex-girlfriend. Little did his mother know that a seemingly casual photo would be the evidence that would ultimately clear his name.
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In September 2017, Precopia was arrested after his ex-girlfriend accused him of slashing her chest with a box cutter, claiming he attacked her after their brief relationship. With her story painting Precopia as the prime suspect, law enforcement moved quickly to arrest him. Despite his protests of innocence, he was left facing the prospect of a life behind bars.
However, there was a glaring flaw in the accusations — on the night of the alleged attack, Precopia wasn’t anywhere near his ex-girlfriend’s home. Instead, he was with his mother, Erin, at a hotel in Austin, Texas, roughly 65 miles away from the scene. But how could they prove it?
The selfie that saved Precopia from spending life behind bars
That’s where Erin’s seemingly random act came into play. On the night of the alleged crime, Erin had posted a group selfie on Facebook, a habit she’d developed of checking in at locations. Unbeknownst to her, the timestamp and geolocation data from the photo would become the irrefutable proof that her
