Hi friends! Happy Friday!!! I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far. In this edition of Freaky Friday Files we are going to explore some true crime cases that have been solved by social media!!
TW: This blog post discusses topics surrounding true crime, violence, murder, and ab*sive relationships. Please read at your own discretion.
True Crimes SOLVED by Social Media
Amy Allwine's Murder - In 2016, Amy was murdered, her husband, Stephen, claimed that Amy had un-alived herself. However, a plethora of evidence was stacked up against Stephen as he had been using the dark web to contact a hitman. When that fell through, Stephen murdered his wife in cold blood. Stephen's social media accounts on his personal smartphone were linked to communications with a scam hitman dark website known as Besa Mafia. This website turned out to be a scam (not surprising). Allegedly, Stephen's motive was to collect Amy's life insurance of $700,000. RIP Amy.
Susan Rainwater - Victim of a Hit and Run - In Seattle, in August 2018, Susan (66) went out for a bike ride one morning, telling her husband she would be back in 30 minutes. However, Susan didn't come back and her husband found her body lying in a ditch. Susan had been the victim of a hit-and-run. But there weren't many clues to go on according to authorities. However, they found one piece of evidence at the scene - a piece of black plastic that fell off the vehicle. One of the state troopers first on the scene happened to share a photo of this black plastic on Twitter which then got shared on Reddit on the subreddit /r/WhatIsThisThing and one Reddit user had the answer. It turns out this black plastic was part of "bezel of a late-1980s Chevrolet pickup" - a reverse image search was done and they were able to find the exact truck. The perpetrator was Jeremy Simon who got only 53.5 months (4.5 years). Susan's daughter didn't think this was long enough for the pain caused. RIP Susan.
The Craigslist Killer - In 2010 in Boston, a man named Philip Markoff was arrested for murdering a woman he met through Craigslist back in 2009. He also partook in two robberies over the course of 2009-2010. There was a lot of evidence tying Markoff to the crime. However, what ultimately got his arrest was the digital footprint on his tech gear - social media messages, emails, and chat logs. Markoff went on to un-alive himself in 2010 while awaiting trial so justice will never be served. The victim was Julissa Brisman - RIP.
The Grim Sleeper Serial Killer - For years, LA was terrorised by the Grim Sleeper. However, in 2010, a man by the name of Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested for being the Grim Sleeper when DNA evidence was found to link him to a string of murders. However, additional evidence was found in his social media presence where authorities found photos of his victims and that Lonnie Franklin Jr. would lure his victims through social media connections. The name Grim Sleeper comes from the fact that he appeared to have taken a 14 year gap between some crimes.
Killing of Gabby Petito - Gabby Petito (22) was on a road trip in the USA with her fiancé Brian back in 2021. Gabby started a YouTube channel with the hopes of creating regular travel vlogs with her partner. The trip was meant to last for 4 months and go from the 2nd of July 2021. However, Gabby disappeared on the 27th of August 2021. Brian became a person of interest when he drove the van back to his parent's house in Florida and refused to discuss where Gabby was. Brian was found using Gabby's debit card and went missing in September. Brian's body was found on September 19th and was believed to have un-alived himself. Social media played an important role in solving this crime as many of Gabby's friends and family took to social media for help, with YouTube being the main source. It is said that Gabby and Brian had a toxic and ab*sive relationship. Brain murdered Gabby. RIP Gabby. You can read more "here."
Thank you for reading.
Ash x
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