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'World of Warcraft' Aids Police Hunt for Fugitive

by JP Mangalindan on January 6, 2010 at 08:30 AM

These days, the long arm of the law stretches farther than ever, thanks in no small part to the Internet (like the burglar who checked his Facebook account mid-robbery). In fact, if it weren't for 'World of Warcraft,' Howard County Sheriff's Department deputy Matt Robertson might never have found his man.

After speaking with several sources, Robertson learned the fugitive he'd been tracking for the past two years, Alfred Hightower, played the massively popular online multi-player game. So, on the off chance he might be able to finagle a lead from the game's developer, Robertson sent them a politely worded subpoena, not expecting a response. Three months later, though, he got one. Blizzard Entertainment provided the guy's IP address, account information and history, billing address, and even online screen name and preferences. (His in-game character is shown to the right.)

From there, Robertson used Google Earth to track the criminal's longitude and latitude and enlisted the help of Canadian authorities to deport the guy back to the States, where he now faces charges for dealing controlled substances and marijuana.

It seems that where Hightower's going, his days of "questing" will be over, or at least limited to the analog variety. Anyone have a 'Magic: The Gathering' deck he can borrow? Unless, of course, he's British and likes the Wii. [From: kokomo perspective, via: Massively]

Tags: crime, gaming, google earth, GoogleEarth, police, top, video games, VideoGames, World of Warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow

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