WKJJ

***#WKJJ*** is the third episode of the first season of *Dead Man's Phone*.

## Synopsis

*Jerome's friends launch a social media appeal that gets unexpected attention.*

## Plot

Sophie calls to inform you you have access to the Snaplife and the live-location app on Jerome’s phone. She also turned off airplane mode so messages from SE15 start coming through. Lucas states his intention to square up to the Spring Block gang as he thinks they murdered Jerome, and the others agree to join in. Aaron tells them he was interviewed by the police who said Spring Block killed Jerome as revenge for taking their chrome mask. You intervene, telling them not to, and that Spring Block aren’t interested in SE15. Lucas doesn’t believe it and refuses to cooperate, but Aaron backs you up. He has the idea to start a campaign on Snaplife to spread the word of Jerome’s murder to the whole of Peckham: who killed Jerome Jacobs? - #WKJJ. The boys get to designing t-shirts and graffiti stencils of #WKJJ, and soon enough it goes viral, including being promoted by famous model Mia Lifesgråte. However, other rumours start arising like Jerome being spiked, his dad being the murderer, or Jerome bribing his history teacher Mr Parker. Vikram confirms Jerome was not spiked. The SE15 boys tell you Jerome’s dad died when he was 7, and that there was no way he needed to bribe a teacher to do well. Thanks to the success of the campaign, the case has received special dispensation and continued funding.

The Mapper app shows the night of Jerome’s murder play out. The app shows the boys going to the party, as well as Marcus stumbling along the streets of Peckham. Like Lucas said, he and Keiran split up after leaving the party early and being confronted by Spring Block boys. You ask Sophie to identify two Mapper contacts whose location was hidden: ‘Fugax’ - a boy called Toby Anderson who goes to the same school as Jerome, and Bradley North - a 16 year old who lives in Leeds. You try to arrange for Bradley to be interviewed remotely, but he is no longer living in Leeds, so you get Intelligence to track his current address. Meanwhile, Tara still isn’t ready to be interviewed.

You interview Toby who says he used to play Fortnite with Jerome using his Gamertag ‘Fugax’. He disabled his location on Mapper because he doesn’t like people seeing where he is. However, he gets a bit excited about the prospect of being a suspect when asked where he was the night of the murder - he was at his girlfriend’s. He remembers her being upset by her maths teacher that day, who was “acting like some redman”, and Sutherland sternly asks him what that means. He explains people have been saying it lately, probably meaning someone scary, but is unable to recall the origins, only remembering hearing it since Jerome died. Later, his alibi is confirmed.

A few days later, SE15 reflect on Jerome’s funeral and notice declining activity on the #WKJJ campaign. The reality hits Aaron that the campaign was only a trend, and that Jerome is ultimately another dead black boy in Peckham, so he leaves the group. You add Aaron back to the group and reassure them that their campaign has genuinely helped. Just then, Sutherland informs you funding has been cut because of other knife crimes over the weekend, and the dwindling popularity of Jerome’s news story. You make a choice to either take a salary cut or cut funding from the new investigations.

Suddenly you get a Snaplife notification - it’s a music video by a user called B Drilla who says he has something to say about Jerome’s death.

## BBO News headlines

* Three women accuse John Greenlees of rape and sexual assault
* Envid-20: US closes Mexico border
* Russian journalists’ disappearance condemned
* ’Promising’ peanut allergy treatment discovered
* Sitcom ‘Certain Death’ to be revived
* Tower block victim’s campaign goes viral
* Naturalist Charles Wallis dies at 99