The Rise of the Armchair Detective

True crime has exploded into popularity in the past few years. Documentaries, podcasts, and online groups have emerged that take interest in discussing the details of these crimes, particularly those that remain unsolved. True crime has always been a popular genre in books and TV, but in the past few years - armchair detectives have taken their sleuthing a step further.

Instead of simply learning about unsolved crimes, online detectives are hoping to solve them.

The new armchair detective

Online detectives are informal researchers who take the time to review the details of a crime, hoping to put the pieces together to solve it. These online armchair detectives don’t really work in an official capacity. Instead, they are driven by curiosity, personal connection to a case, or even the desire to claim reward money.

In some cases, armchair detectives hope to simply help to find a solution. They know that police departments are overworked, and think that they can provide help when evidence is intricate or online.

For others, online sleuthing is a way to practice research skills, or driven purely out of interest. As more documentaries are made about failures of due process in our legal system, many people feel it is their duty to scrutinize the details of certain cases to be sure that justice has been served.

Why the rise in online sleuthing?

In the age of the internet, we have access to more information than ever before. This has a major impact on true crime. In the past, anyone who was interested in finding out more about a murder would have to go to extreme lengths to find specific details about the investigation, or look into local rumours. Even finding out what was reported in different newspapers could be a challenge.

Today, all of that has changed. Anyone who is interested in finding out more about a crime has a wealth of sources to go to. Newspaper records, live news broadcasts and social media are all easily accessible. But, court records and personal information is also shockingly easy to access. With all of this at their fingertips, online detectives are able to dig deeper into crime than ever before.

Technology and connection

Changing technology and the way we all communicate with one another has also encouraged the growth of the true crime community. When a crime occurs, people are able to access the social media accounts of anyone involved, including the victims, suspects and families. This lends to a sense of personal connection or ability to find an important clue.

But, technology is also bringing together online detectives in other ways. Facebook groups, subreddits, and community forums have been set up, providing a space for people to discuss evidence and details, and to share their theories.

Solving crimes through the public

Many criminal cases are solved with the help of the public. Clues and tips called into police are often the only thing needed to make an arrest. So, it is easy to see why online detectives believe that working together as a group can help to solve a case.

In some cases, these online sleuthing groups have been successful in finding clues that law enforcement do not know about. In 2019, Netflix released the documentary Don’t F*ck with Cats, showing the story of an online sleuthing community who tracked down the notorious Luka Magnotta using online clues. But, online sleuthing can also cause serious problems.

The risks of online sleuthing

Online detectives sometimes get things wrong, and when they do, the impacts can be devastating. With the power of online media, a rumour or falsified piece of evidence about a crime can have disastrous consequences.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing, sleuths on Reddit publicly claimed that student Sunil Tripathi was responsible for the attacks. This rumour raged online, devastating the family who was searching for their missing son. Later, the true identities of the bombers were released, and Sunil Tripathi was discovered deceased - and his family remains haunted by this terrible time.

The notorious Delphi Murders are a case that have thousands of followers in the true crime community, mostly because of their connection to Snap chat. Hundreds of accusations have been made online about this case, leading to false questioning and further devastation to the victim’s families.

Ethical online detective work

True crime is fascinating to a lot of people, there is no doubt about that. True crime addicts play an important role in keeping cases alive and in the public eye. If you’re interested in criminal cases and would like to lend a hand, you can ethically take part in these cases in many different ways. Looking for clues, making connections, and helping to work on the case are all helpful as long as you:

• Keep private details private, without disrespecting victims or suspects
• Respect survivors who are still mourning the loss of their loved ones
• Abide by the law, and pass any important information along to law enforcement
• Be careful who you interact with and share information with online

The darker sides of our nature

Many people find a fascination with true crime to be morbid. But, the psychology behind these crimes and the impact they have on individuals and communities can be absolutely fascinating to people all over the world. As technology develops, we may see the opportunity for these online sleuths to get real, paid detective work in helping to solve large-scale crimes.