I’d probably be more concerned about red light tickets than anything else, by lending my car.
When I first read that, I started to reply, "Why be concerned about that? They don't ticket cars." but as a matter of fact, yes, they do.
When NYT reported on this story in 2007 they reported the detail that Holle testified that he was told they might need to knock out Jessica Snyder. He not only knew about the burglary, but also knew they intended to steal the drugs by violence if necessary. That’s why he was convicted of felony murder. He claims now that he thought it was all a joke. Which I’m calling BS on and so did the jury obviously, finding him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
I’ve seen this story told at least 3 other times since it happened, it’s more like a folk tale each time as more and more of the facts of his guilt are whitewashed. I expect the next incarnation to read that his roommate took the car without his knowledge at all.
People get scared because they think “it could be me! I lend my car to my friend all the time!” But unless your friend told you they intended to use it to rob someone by force and then killed them when it went pear-shaped you’ll be fine. I’m amenable to revisiting felony murder as law, as a lot of other countries have, but that’s a seperate issue. The prosecutor recognized his lesser involvement and offered him, and only him, a plea deal of 10 years. Holle rejected that offer and would already be out if he’d taken it. The killer was up for the needle, but ultimately he and all the rest of them got LWOP.
I have very little sympathy for Holle at the moment.