True crime content has never been more popular, and technology is making citizen investigations increasingly accessible. But can just anyone be a sleuth? Insight's Kumi Taguchi is joined by guests who've taken it upon themselves to find answers when authorities fall short, and asks if they're ultimately helping or hindering? Watch Citizen Sleuths on .
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Citizen Sleuths
episode • Insight • News And Current Affairs • 50m
episode • Insight • News And Current Affairs • 50m
When Madison McGhee lost her beloved father at the age of six, she was told he'd suffered a heart attack.
She had no reason to doubt this, until she learned 10 years later that he'd been murdered — shot and killed in the doorway of the family home in rural Ohio.
"It changed the course of my life," Madison told Insight.
"I always say my dad died twice. I lost my dad to a heart attack when I was six. And I lost my dad to murder when I was 16."
No one was ever convicted over the murder, which left Madison in a state of limbo.
"You don't really have anywhere to put your energy and emotion. I can't be mad at someone because I don't know who it was."
Unwilling to accept his unsolved murder, Madison started her own investigation during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was 23.
"I called the sheriff's department to get access to the case files," she said.
"And that opened a really big can of worms in my life."
Madison (right) learned when she was 16 that her father (left) hadn't died of a heart attack when she was little but had in fact been murdered. Source: Supplied
But it came at a cost.
"I still have family members who won't speak to me," she said.
"I had some people who were suspiciously supportive at the time, and some people who were really adamant that I should let it go."
Power of the public
Haylee O'Connell also became a citizen sleuth in the hope of discovering what happened to a lost loved one.
Her brother Corey disappeared in 2021. At the time, Haylee reported him to the police as missing but felt like "there wasn't any urgency" in trying to find him.
"I didn't feel like it was taken seriously," she told Insight.
Haylee (right) says she decided to investigate her brother's disappearance when she felt the police "didn't take it seriously". Source: Supplied
She also started speaking with a Canberra-based drone operator, who offered his services for free.
"He ended up taking 41,000 images of the bushland where my brother went missing," Haylee said.
The drone operator uploaded the images to a site where the public could zoom in to scan for something of interest.
"One of the members in the group messaged me. She said, 'I think you need to send that picture to the police'."
She had seen some bones.
Haylee believes she would never have found her brother's remains without the help of citizen sleuths. Source: Supplied
Haylee said the citizen sleuth community kept her going throughout her search ordeal.
"I wouldn't have found Corey if it wasn't for them."
When sleuths are a hindrance
But not everyone sees citizen sleuths as valuable.
Associate professor Xanthe Mallett of Central Queensland University, who has an extensive career in forensics and criminology, says people investigating outside of official channels can be a hindrance.
"It can be a bit of a double-edged sword. So many people now are becoming citizen sleuths that the police are literally overwhelmed. They're obligated to follow up on tips that come in," she said.
"How do they actually wade through them to determine what may be useful?"
Beyond the police investigation, Xanthe says sleuths can also affect the outcome of trials.
"There are quite strict rules around this, what people can share online. They may be trying to help, but sometimes it can actually cause problems in the criminal justice system.
"Information being shared during court cases, for example, that can make that highly problematic."
She adds that sleuths' theories are rarely on the money.
"I'm yet to actually be presented with information that has actually progressed one of the cases I'm working on."
Despite this, Xanthe can empathise with the desire for answers when authorities have fallen short.
"I understand why people want to get involved in cases, especially those they feel a personal connection to, when they haven't received the answers that they need."
Madison continues to search for answers around the death of her father, even turning her investigation into a podcast series, Ice Cold Case.
"Saying 'this is my dad, this is someone who was a community member, a brother, a son,' and sharing his story from a really human perspective was really important to me," she said.
"It had been 20 years since he was murdered and there was no movement, there was no traction. And it was the only way I could really think [of] that I had control and power over."
As a result of the podcast, people started to come forward with information, which Madison is in the process of gathering to rebuild a case file to present to the police.
"In order to solve this case, I don't feel like I have any other option," she said.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at. supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
And for more stories on sex, relationships, health, wealth, grief and more, head to hosted by Kumi Taguchi. Follow us on the , , , or wherever you get your podcasts.
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