re: AL woman beaten to death over foodstamps

The boyfriend, whose name deputies haven't released, borrowed Kirby's car to go pick up his Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, a government-issued debit card that replaced food stamps. While on his way to pick up the card, however, he was critically injured in a traffic crash with an 18-wheeler.

The crash happened Wednesday, Aug. 5, on Interstate 20/59 near the Interstate 459 interchange. Bessemer police said witnesses told them the victim was driving southbound when, for unknown reasons, he turned his car around and started heading northbound in the southbound lane. He collided head-on with the tractor-trailer, and was seriously injured. As of Tuesday, he remained at UAB in critical condition.

Thinking he might die, authorities say Kirby, Otts and Giarrusso devised a plot to steal the boyfriend's benefits by making a duplicate EBT card. To do that, however, they needed his social security card and other identifying information, Christian said.