Sidebar: The case of the internet sleuth

Welcome to season four of Sidebar! We're kicking off our first episode of 2024 by traversing the digital terrain of internet sleuths, those armchair detectives whose keyboards are the new magnifying glasses.

Everyone has a hobby. Something to keep them busy, pass the time or unwind after work. Maybe listening to your favorite podcast is that thing. One such hobby that has grown with the help of the internet and social media is internet sleuthing. On websites like TikTok, Reddit and Websleuths, people post the latest theories about mysteries big and small.

Since the high-profile murder of Gabby Petito, it feels like hobby investigators have gained more prominence, from the initial mystery of the University of Idaho student murders to the Rainey Street Ripper, the Austin, Texas, serial killer that wasn't.

What's behind the psychological forces that drive this online phenomenon?

Special guests:

• David Schmid, professor of English at the University of Buffalo
• Rachel Monroe, author of “Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession”
• Chance Townsend, assistant editor at Mashable

Sidebar tackles the top stories you need to know from the legal world. Join reporters Hillel Aron, Kirk McDaniel, Amanda Pampuro and Kelsey Reichmann as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the U.S. and beyond and break down developments to help you understand how they affect your day-to-day life.

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens. A transcript is available.

Editorial staff is Bill Dotinga, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross. Many thanks to Carson McCullough.

More true crime from Carson:

• The pitfalls of the armchair detective
• Arrest made in murders of four University of Idaho students
• Idaho mom Lori Vallow convicted of murdering her children and husband’s ex

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