Serial killer who used dating apps to lure victims gets 160 years

A New Jersey man who used dating apps to lure and kill three women five years ago was sentenced Wednesday to 160 years in prison after a trial in which it was revealed that friends of one victim did their own detective work on social media to ferret out the suspect.

In a brief statement before they spoke, Wheeler-Weaver denied responsibility, telling Superior Court Judge Mark S. Ali that he was framed. Wheeler-Weaver's mother, aunt and brother sat in the gallery but didn't address the court.

The sentences covered three murders, one attempted murder and other counts including kidnapping, aggravated arson and desecration of human remains.

The Essex County prosecutor's office had credited friends of Butler, a college student from Montclair, with using social media to help police find Wheeler-Weaver. They gained access to her social media accounts, set up a fake account, lured Wheeler-Weaver to a meeting in Montclair and notified police, according to prosecutors.