YouTubers making thousands of dollars from ghoulishly hanging around crime scenes and unfounded theories
A strange moment unfolded outside the home where Nancy Guthrie was abducted on February 10 when a pizza delivery driver showed up carrying several boxes of pizza.
Police, already dealing with a crowded and active crime scene, quickly sent the driver away and warned him not to return. Reporters at the scene said the food had reportedly been sent by a supporter for true-crime livestreamer Jonathan Lee Riches, known online as JLR Investigates.
Riches was among a group gathered outside the property, representing a growing wave of online content creators who combine elements of reporting, investigation and entertainment. Many of them broadcast live for hours from crime scenes.
Alina Smith, co-founder of Crime Seen Collective, said these creators are trying to give audiences a perspective they believe traditional media often misses.
“We’re trying to show people what things look like from the outside, especially after the mainstream media leaves,” Smith told The Post.
She said much of her work involves interacting directly with viewers and giving them what they ask to see.
“I ask my supporters what they want to know or what they want to see, and I try to provide that,” she said.
To many observers, watching these livestreams can seem unusual. Hours of footage may pass with little activity beyond routine police movements.
But for viewers who follow missing-person cases, murders and police investigations online, the broadcasts become an interactive experience where audiences feel they are helping piece together a mystery.
During his coverage, Riches examined tips that viewers believed might be connected to the case, including a nearby car tow and a medical helicopter flight. He also accepts viewer donations through YouTube’s Super Chat feature.
One viewer donated five dollars while asking if the doormat outside Guthrie’s home was still there.
Riches walked closer to the house and zoomed his camera in on it.
“Yep, have a look,” he told viewers. “They haven’t taken it away for testing.”
Some of these livestream operations have become very profitable. Smith said that top creators in the field can earn as much as $30,000 per week, and some fans even travel from other states to meet them in person.
Supporters say they appreciate the persistence of the streamers and enjoy feeling connected to the investigation.
Law enforcement officials, however, say that is where problems begin.
During the search for Guthrie — the mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie — which has been underway since February 1, the lack of suspects or major developments led to intense online speculation. Much of that speculation circulated through livestreams and social media discussions.
At one point, unfounded claims spread online accusing Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, who had been the last person known to see the 84-year-old alive.
The speculation spread even further. Dominic Evans, a 48-year-old fifth-grade teacher, said he became a target of online accusations simply because he had played in a band with Cioni.
Evans said the harassment became so intense that he sent his children away and stayed inside his home with the lights turned off while strangers attempted to catch a glimpse of him.
On February 16, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement pushing back against the rumors and confirming that Guthrie’s family members were not considered suspects.
“The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” Nanos said. “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. Please, I’m begging you, the media, to honor your professionalism.”
Similar situations have occurred in other high-profile cases.
In December, a normally quiet street in Brentwood, Los Angeles, became chaotic after filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were allegedly killed inside their mansion by their son. Social media personalities quickly arrived and began broadcasting from outside the home.
Neighbors and police reported disturbances as several influencers argued loudly near the scene. Officers also ordered them to lower music that was blasting from a nearby car.
One individual stood outside the residence wearing a black sweatshirt and a gold Burger King crown while repeatedly accusing members of the media of assaulting him. At one point he shouted that someone had touched his property and invaded his “creative bubble.” No arrests were made.
Smith said her group tries to follow stricter standards while covering cases.
“I’m extremely careful,” she said. “If family members walk by, I move the camera away. I don’t name suspects and I don’t share exact addresses.”
She said she visited Guthrie’s home mainly to learn how such cases unfold and how to behave responsibly in those situations.
“You learn how to respect law enforcement and the community when a case becomes sensationalized,” Smith said. “You see what can be done better and what people need.”
She also criticized some creators who she says leave trash behind or set up camps near crime scenes.
“Some of them leave wrappers everywhere and piles of garbage next to their tents,” she said. “I try to set a better example.”
While some citizen reporters have been criticized, others have received praise for their work.
Independent journalist Nick Shirley, for example, reported on day-care centers in Minnesota that he alleged were fraudulent operations. His reporting highlighted facilities that were receiving millions in public funds while allegedly providing no services.
Another figure who has gained attention online is Kai Kinsley, known on the internet as Omma. The 22-year-old runs sting operations targeting suspected online predators and has built an audience of about 1.3 million subscribers.
According to the Hastings Banner in Michigan, several of his operations have led to felony charges, including accosting a minor and using a computer to commit a crime.
However, law enforcement officials warn that people conducting these types of operations without proper training face serious risks.
Michael Aterburn, a former detective who spent six years investigating internet crimes against children in Jefferson County, Kentucky, said officers involved in these cases are always armed when confronting suspects.
“Even the decoy pretending to be a minor was an armed officer,” Aterburn said.
He explained that suspects in these investigations can be extremely dangerous, noting that officers have recovered handcuffs, sedatives, ropes, knives and guns during arrests.
Authorities also emphasize that the public often misunderstands how investigations actually unfold.
Police work typically moves slowly and carefully to avoid damaging evidence, wrongly accusing innocent people or failing to gather enough proof to win a conviction in court.
“Often times people think what they see on TV is how real life works, and that’s just not the case,” Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said in 2020 during the investigation into the Delphi murders of teenagers Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
He said speculation on large true-crime social media groups — which existed before today’s livestream culture — often caused additional problems when users posted accusations along with names, photos and home addresses.
“Putting those pictures out there on social media isn’t helping anybody,” Perrine said. “There can be serious issues with defamation.”
The Delphi case was eventually solved in 2022 after investigators followed up on tips and conducted a detailed investigation. Richard Allen was arrested, later convicted of the murders and is now serving a 130-year prison sentence.
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