FACT CHECK: Was A Schizophrenic Man Convicted For Blowing Up The Georgia Guidestones?

A photo shared on Facebook purportedly shows a screenshot of a news article reporting that a schizophrenic man was convicted for the destruction of the Georgia Guidestones. 

Verdict: False

The article is digitally fabricated. There is no evidence to suggest anyone has been convicted of destroying the monument.

Fact Check:

The Georgia Guidestones, a mysterious monument that was located in Elberton, Georgia, suffered damage from an explosion that occurred in the early morning hours of July 6, according to BBC. The monument was completely demolished later that day due to safety concerns, the outlet reported.

Now, a Facebook post allegedly shows a screen grab of a news article that claims a man has been convicted for the explosion. “Schizophrenic man convicted over blowing up the Georgia Guidestones. ‘No need to thank me, a small Monero donation is enough,’” reads the alleged July 13 article’s headline. The article’s byline claims it was published by the Daily Mail and The Associated Press. 

The alleged article is digitally fabricated. No such story appears on The Associated Press’ website or the outlet’s verified Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts. Likewise, it cannot be found on the Daily Mail’s website or its respective verified social media accounts. Check Your Fact could not find any credible news reports to corroborate the claim that anyone was charged in connection to the destruction of the Georgia Guidestones. 

“This is not an AP story,” a spokesperson for The Associated Press told Check Your Fact in an email. (RELATED: Were The Georgia Guidestones Destroyed By An Earthquake?)

One of the images featured in the fabricated post appears to be a court room drawing of Joshua Schulte, a former CIA software engineer who was convicted of leaking classified information. The same image was included in a July 13 article from The Daily Mail.

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