Internet Sleuths Crack the Case...Or Do They?

Amateur online sleuths are coming together to solve crimes, from the Facebook hunt for Capitol rioters to TikTokers' search for Gabby Petito.

Amateur online sleuths are coming together to solve crimes, from the Facebook hunt for ... more

Curated byAmory Sivertson, Podcaster

7 CLIPS30 MINS

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The Online Sleuths Catching Capitol Rioters

After hundreds of Capitol rioters returned home on January 6th, the FBI was faced with the enormous task of hunting them down. But they got help from an unlikely source: in forums across the Web, civilians started following clues. From Fever Dreams.

The Online Sleuths Catching Capitol Rioters

Fever Dreams

3 MINS

Clip 2 of 7

Finding Insurrectionists, Through Bumble

Some of the January 6th rioters were handed over to the FBI by their families; others were found by…less conventional means. Reporter Ryan Reilly tells how one woman used a popular dating site to ensnare rioters. From Fresh Air.

Finding Insurrectionists, Through Bumble

Fresh Air

3 MINS

Clip 3 of 7

The TikTok Sleuths Investigating the Murder of Gabby Petito

TikTok detectives, citizen investigators and true crime podcasters are tracking the investigation of Gabby Petito—and doing some investigating themselves.

The TikTok Sleuths Investigating the Murder of Gabby Petito

Start Here

3 MINS

Clip 4 of 7

Looking for Grateful Doe

Jason Callahan was killed in a car crash in 1995. His body remained nameless, identified only as “Grateful Doe." Callahan’s sister describes the experience of finding her brother through the help of Reddit and Facebook search groups.

Endless Thread

4 MINS

Clip 5 of 7

The Tragic Consequences of a Reddit Hunt Gone Wrong

Not all Reddit searches are successful; and the ones that aren’t can have devastating consequences. The mother of Sunil Tripathi, incorrectly identified as one of the Boston bombers, shares the trauma undergone by her family.

The Tragic Consequences of a Reddit Hunt Gone Wrong

Life of the Law

5 MINS

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Bellingcat: When a Web Sleuth Goes Professional

Eliot Higgins is the founder of Bellingcat, a group of digital investigative journalists and crime solvers. They discovered crucial information about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014.

Bellingcat: When a Web Sleuth Goes Professional

Fresh Air

6 MINS

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The Mushroom Sleuths of Facebook

When kids or pets eat a potentially dangerous mushroom growing in the yard, traditional poison control channels can be inefficient – or prohibitively expensive. One Facebook group of amateur mycologists is stepping in to fill the gap.

Recode Daily

3 MINS

Curated byAmory Sivertson

7 CLIPS30 MINS

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Internet Sleuths Crack the Case...Or Do They?

The Online Sleuths Catching Capitol Rioters

Fever Dreams

Finding Insurrectionists, Through Bumble

Fresh Air

The TikTok Sleuths Investigating the Murder of Gabby Petito

Start Here

Looking for Grateful Doe

Endless Thread

The Tragic Consequences of a Reddit Hunt Gone Wrong

Life of the Law

Bellingcat: When a Web Sleuth Goes Professional

Fresh Air

The Mushroom Sleuths of Facebook

Recode Daily

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