Armchair Sleuth Types

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With the popularity of true crime, an increasing number of people engage in ‘Cluedo culture’. They attempt to solve real-life mysteries that range from identifying the owner of an illegally parked car to solving the most tragic of murder cases. This interactive explores the different types of online detecting, why people may get involved and the potentially dangerous consequences.

Would you make a good detective? Do you have an eye for detail? A nose for smelling out the truth?

Are you an armchair detective?

"Look at what they’ve done!"

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"What are they hiding?"

"Why did they do it?"

"Look at who they are!"

"Where are they now?"

"Whodunnit?"

• Need for control – the detective may feel the need to regain control by sharing a one-sided account of the incident.
• Sense of justice – the detective may want the offender to experience negative consequences for their behaviour.
• Desire to shame – a wish to shame the person on social media, even if this could be disproportionate and unfair.

This type of online detecting focuses on recording low-level crimes and actions which violate social norms in our society (for example, filming the rowdy behaviour of a fellow plane passenger). These recordings are usually shared on social media to shame the person (or people) involved.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"Look at what they’ve done!"

• Mystery – humans find mysteries highly engaging, especially when it could lead to a murderer being arrested.
• Group self-enhancement – if sharing ideas in a public forum, the detective could be motivated to enhance their status by ‘cracking the case’, even if that compromises a current investigation.
• Voyeurism – the depersonalisation of a real-life tragedy into a form of entertainment, which can harm the victim’s family.

This involves Individuals or groups that attempt to solve a murder case by revealing the identity of the perpetrator. The ‘Whodunnit?’ genre of mystery crime stories was popularised in the UK by Agatha Christie. Currently, ‘true crime’ documentaries attract a great deal of media and public attention, which sometimes provide online detectives with new cases to solve.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"Whodunnit?"

• Desire for answers – for shocking crimes, a desire to understand what occurred may help the detective comprehend what has happened.
• Armchair psychology – a desire to publicly speculate on the psychology of those involved, despite the potential real-world consequences for the victim’s family.
• Voyeurism – as with ‘Whodunnit?’ cases, engaging with real-life tragedies as entertainment can be harmful.

As with ‘Whodunnit?’ online detecting, these cases usually involve serious violent crimes and murder. However, the focus is on the motivational and psychological reasons why the perpetrator committed the crime – especially if the crime is shocking, such as the Lucy Letby case.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"Why did they do it?"

• Desire to help – a genuine desire to find the missing person and support the family.
• Parasocial connection – In some instances, the detective develops an unhealthy, one-sided connection with the missing person.
• Personal gain – some detectives may present themselves as 'helping' to search for the person, when, in reality, they are making sensationalist online clickbait to gain likes and shares.

This type of online detective work focuses on both new and cold unsolved missing person cases, which are usually investigated by organised online groups. This is time-consuming work that defies the stereotypical view of online detectives; as sensationalist individuals concerned solely with the most high profile current events. However, their choice of cases can be impacted by the fact that missing persons cases that make the news (and subsequently take up the majority of attention on social media) predominantly involve young white women, not other demographic groups.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"Where are they now?"

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• Moral indignation – some crimes are so shocking that they motivate people to get involved.
• Public service – although these groups feel they offer a valuable service, the police argue they risk compromising their operations.
• Hero complex – in some cases, there is a desire to be seen as local heroes, despite the illegality and risk of shaming an innocent person.

This involves groups known as ‘paedophile hunters’ who wish to expose potential or previous child sex offenders. In some cases, someone will pose as a child and interact online with a suspect before confronting them in a real-world encounter that is recorded and shared on social media. Although a highly controversial form of vigilantism, in 2016 the evidence gathered by such groups was used in 46% of UK trials for those charged with meeting a child after grooming them.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"Look at who they are!"

• Truth to power – in some cases, a genuine desire to expose corruption that is harming the public.
• Conspiracy mindset – the belief that powerful organisations are involved in large-scale conspiracies which results in the spread of misinformation.
• Disruptive intentions – detectives may engage in ‘doxing’ behaviour to punish a powerful person (i.e. sharing their personal details online), which can be an arrestable offence.

This online detective work tries to expose organisations and/or people in power, be that local councils, national governments or multinational corporations. This typically involves leaking restricted documents to expose and punish perceived wrongdoers. This sometimes involves conspiracy-theory thinking focused on exposing secret plots with limited or no evidence.

What is it?

Why do we do it?

"What are they hiding?"