Websleuths is an internet community that is focused on crime and
missing persons. The privately owned Websleuths LLC maintains a forum for registered users to discuss and classify information related to crimes, trials and unsolved cases, which they try to solve. Tricia Griffith purchased the site in 2004.
Some content is available for viewing without registration. Members have an option to be verified with their credentials with the administrator if they have a specific expertise, such as DNA analysis professionals, law enforcement, or are related to a specific crime in some way.
Notable cases
Crimes which have received national attention are always highlighted by Websleuths. The 2008
Caylee Anthony murder and 2011 trial of her mother drew years of interest and commentary regarding the murder, media attention to the case, and documentation of evidence and information.
The television show ''
Law & Order'' portrayed Websleuths in an episode about the Anthony case named "
Crimebusters".
In 2014,
Carl Koppelman, a California man who is a member of Websleuths, believed that he had identified a match between a new image of
Tammy Alexander, long missing from
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County () is a County (United States), county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 194,515. Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida, Brooks ...
, and a forensic portrait of a young unidentified homicide victim known as Caledonia Jane Doe, found in
Livingston County, New York
Livingston County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,834. Its county seat is Geneseo. The county is named after Robert R. Livingston, who helped draft the Declaration of Independence a ...
in 1979. He notified both Sheriff's offices and the
NamUs database administrators. With this lead, police were able to make a
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
match between the victim and her half-sister, confirming her in January 2015 as Alexander more than 35 years after her death.
A
Vice.com profile highlights a case where; "In 2006, the site's efforts helped solve the murder of a homeless man who’d won the lottery."
Alliances and other activities
Tricia Griffith hosts a weekly podcast on
Blog Talk Radio. In 2016, Websleuths joined the producers of the television show
''The Killing Season'' in an interactive look at the unsolved
Long Island serial killer cases. Griffith frequently hosts live ''Websleuths'' videos discussing current cases on YouTube.
See also
*
List of Internet forums
References
External links
websleuths.com official website
American websites
True crime
1999 establishments in the United States
Internet properties established in 1999
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