Simon says, "I'm guilty."

We often hear the phrase "criminal mastermind" used on television, but the existence of true criminal masterminds are, by their very nature, impossible to prove.  A criminal mastermind would never get caught unless he got sloppy and stopped applying that mastermind to his work.

On the other hand, the news is never short on stories of criminals who neither possess a mastermind nor even, it seems, a mediocre mind.  Helping us with our illustration of such dumb criminals today is the charming Scott Simon of Pompano Beach.  Simon, age 24, is being charged with first-degree murder for his role in the shooting death of Nicholas Romondo Walker.  Police officers do not believe that Simon pulled the trigger but believe he was the "mastermind" who orchestrated the killing.  

So, how did police manage to lock on to Simon as a suspect?  Just a few minutes before Walker was fatally shot, Simon accidentally pocket-dialed 911 from his cell phone.  The recorded call reveals Simon talking with another person, as yet unidentified, and describing how he plans to follow Walker home and kill him.  Shortly thereafter, officers responded to a shooting incident on Interstate 95, only to discover that Nicholas Walker was the victim.  Because only a few minutes passed between the phone call and the murder, police were sadly unable to act in time to stop the murder from happening.  Walker was shot multiple times, and then he crashed.  He died at the scene.

Police are unsure of Simon's precise motivation but believe it has something to do with a conflict that arose shortly before the shooting at a local Waffle House.  Simon has a long history of arrests prior to this most recent one, but had it not been for his pocket dial, he might well have eluded prosecution in this particular case.  

Simon is hardly the first criminal to rat himself out via cell phone as the result of an ill-timed pocket dial.  Just a few months ago, we brought you the story of James Dollarhide, who also accidentally butt-dialed 911 from his cell phone, then proceeded to tell his two passengers in detail about his plans for the distribution of drugs.  Authorities listened in on his plans and tracked the call, finally obtaining Dollarhide's precise location and pulling over his vehicle.  For the details of that even more charming case, see The Butt-Dial Strikes Again.

Lest you think that Scott Simon and James Dollarhide are rare breeds, (which, fortunately for us, they are not), take a few minutes to read about some of our other favorites, including the car-carving vigilante, the accidental car thief, and the charter member of the Consumer Advocates for Better Crack.  Sometimes, there are people out there who can make you feel good simply by reminding you that, no matter how bad your day was, you're not them.  

Know of any dumb criminals in your town?  Email us your stories at whatsername34@gmail.com for a chance to have them featured on the blog.  Thanks for stopping by!