Man Murdered Over Diablo 2 Loot Dispute!

I think it would be fair to say that, in gaming terms, Diablo II has managed to snag more than a few victims over the years with its addictive gameplay and loot mechanics being the literal thief of time! In terms of ‘victims’ though, this has always been entirely metaphorical. That is, until now! – Following a report via GamerHabitat, a man has been charged with murder after killing his friend of 26-years in a dispute over transferring loot.

Diablo II Loot Thief Leads to Murder!

Now, I already know what some of you are thinking. This is a murder over loot. Well, in that respect, you would be right, but probably not in the remits you’d expect. No, the alleged murderer and victim were not in a dispute over one of them stealing from the other. What instead happened was way more bizarre than that. I will, however, try and break this down to keep it simple.

The two friends were attempting to transfer valuable items to each other. Now, as you might be aware in Diablo II (classic), this isn’t like ‘World of Warcraft‘ where a simplistic trade window can be opened. To do it like this, quickly and efficiently, you have to drop them on the floor and the other player has to pick them up. – Why is this kind of item transfer done in the first place? Largely for the means of having ‘bank’ characters with no other purpose than holding gear and/or items that the ‘main’ character either doesn’t need or doesn’t have the space for.

So, what went wrong? Well, in so far as we can ascertain, while dropping this loot, a yet unknown third-person swooped in, grabbed a chunk of gear in what must’ve been some the most manic clicking they’d ever done, and presumably promptly logged off barely believing how ‘lucky’ they’d got. – As you might expect though, having lost a lot of valuable items, the two (former) friends were clearly very unhappy at this and seemingly got into a dispute with the other as to whose fault it was.

What Happened Next?

Living at the same property, but not in the same house, the argument between the two apparently escalated to the point where, over voice chat, Joshua G. Spellman, the 36-year-old accused of murder, told his friend that he “needed to calm down or he was going to get shot.”. – With him apparently not doing so, Mr. Spellman allegedly left his residence and started walking over to his friends firing a shot in the air on his way.

Upon arriving, it seems that the presence of a gun did not de-escalate the situation (as one rarely does in an angry atmosphere) and with his friend having charged him, Mr. Spellman discharged the fatal shot. Oh, and when asked why he took a gun, his answer? “Why not? This is America.”

Yes… This is America indeed.

(Oh, and no, that third person who stole the loot was never identified. And probably never will or should be).