Woman jailed after virtual ex slay
New developments now in the case of a murdered "digital image" that rocked the massively interactive world of computer online electronic video game MapleStory this past May. A 43-year-old Japanese woman has been arrested and jailed on suspicion of "illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data" of the slain digital image, called an "avatar," reports the Associated Press.
The victim, a 33-year-old Japanese man, initiated a virtual divorce between his avatar and the woman's avatar, which allegedly so angered the accused that she used the man's identification and password -- obtained while they were "happily married" -- to log into his MapleStory account and carry out his avatar's execution. "I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," the woman was quoted as telling investigators. She has yet to be formally charged, but could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
[Thanks, Edwin]
