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An online argument which led to the murder of a British university student has resulted in a German gamer facing extradition to England.
A 21 year-old German gamer has been arrested near Frankfurt in connection with a dispute over cyberspace that culminated in murder.
Matthew Pyke, 20, was known online as Shade, an alias he used to frequent his website Wars Central, a community site for the Nintendo turn-based strategy game Advance Wars.
The website hosts a forum for users to chat and leave messages to each other, which is where the alleged killer met Pyke. Police believe an argument broke out on the forum and it escalated to a level where the murderer went to England to kill Pyke.
Pyke’s body was found by his girlfriend and co-founder of Wars Central, Joanna Witton, in his Nottinghamshire flat. He had been stabbed several times and there was no signs of a forced entry, leading police to believe that he knew his killer.
Shortly after the murder, the 21 year-old German posted messages on Witton’s Facebook page, saying “I will pray for you, Jo. You must be suffering unbelievable pains. I’m sorry for having caused so much trouble lately.” The German, while friends on the site with Witton, had never posted a message on Witton’s page before.
A number of online tributes have been flowing in for Pyke, including one from his parents left on his Facebook page.
“Darling Matthew. We love you so much and miss you. You were a truly good, sensitive person. Your smile will live on in our hearts.” wrote William and Kim Pyke.
Sources:
The Guardian,
Telegraph.co.uk
