The latest iteration of the popular "Florida Man" meme claims he's a serial killer disguised as a millionaire.
An Instagram post shared March 9 shows a headshot of an old man with text above that reads, "Florida millionaire arrested after authorities discovered over 700 bodies buried in his backyard."
"Jerry Richards, 73, was arrested this week at his home in Naples, Florida after a neighbor spotted him very obviously burying a body behind his house," reads the caption of the post. "When police arrested Richards, he admitted to having over 700 bodies buried throughout his property."
The post claims Naples Police Department Capt. Robert Thomas said Richards had been "murdering and burying bodies in his yard for over 35 years."
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The post generated over 39,000 shares in less than three weeks. Similar posts have amassed hundreds of interactions on Facebook.
But the claim is false. A Naples police department spokesperson told USA TODAY no such arrest took place. The claim stems from a 2018 satire article.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.
There are no records of the arrest described in the Instagram post, Jennifer Tate, a spokesperson for the Naples Police Department, told USA TODAY in an email. USA TODAY found no press releases on the...
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