19-year-old vandalises 17 cars at college parking lot, then confesses crime to ChatGPT in lengthy chat

ChatGPT

A bizarre case out of Missouri has put both college life and artificial intelligence in the spotlight. A 19-year-old student at Missouri State University allegedly went on a destructive spree in a campus parking lot and later admitted everything not to police at first, but to ChatGPT, a report by Smoking Gun revealed.

Authorities say Ryan Schaefer, a sophomore, vandalized 17 cars early Sunday morning around 3 AM. According to the police report, Schaefer smashed windows, ripped off side mirrors, dented hoods, and snapped windshield wipers in what investigators described as a “rampage.”

When police confronted him with surveillance footage and other evidence, Schaefer admitted there was a “resemblance” between him and the suspect. He then agreed to let officers search his iPhone. That’s where they discovered a striking piece of evidence: a long, profanity-laced conversation with ChatGPT, where he confessed to the crime almost immediately after it happened.

In the chat, Schaefer asked bluntly, “How fucked am I” and “qilll I go to jail,” riddled with typos. He then confessed to smashing “multipls cars,” before becoming increasingly aggressive, even threatening the AI. Later, he tried to reassure himself, writing that he had “got away with it last year” and believed there was no way he could be identified. At one point, he admitted it felt “really nice” to cause the damage.

Prosecutors described the chat as “troubling” and said it clearly outlined his involvement and state of mind. Investigators also tied his phone’s location data to the crime scene, further sealing the case.

Schaefer has been charged with felony property damage and is being held at Greene County Jail on a $7,500 bond. If released, he will be banned from alcohol-related establishments, subjected to random drug and alcohol testing, and fitted with a GPS monitoring device.

The case highlights not only a reckless night of destruction but also how digital traces — even confessions to AI — can play a critical role in criminal investigations. What Schaefer thought might have been a private spiral with a chatbot has now become a central piece of evidence against him.