Photo by David von Diemar

True crime is a genre that retells stories of actual crimes for podcasts,books, and movies.

The retelling of horrific crimes has consumed the nation. Many Americans cannot wait to get their weekly fix of true crime via a podcast or show. Some have become so infatuated with the genre that they have taken on the role of investigator. 

There are podcasts galore, countless documentaries and hundreds of articles about true crime. Although “true” is in the name, some fans seem to forget the story is real and the victim was human.

The podcast “True Crime Obsessed” recaps true crime documentaries with what their website calls  “humor and sass.” For victims’ families to hear these cases with a comedic spin surely only twists the knife after the grief and pain they have already suffered. 

Senior Brynn Krafka enjoys learning about crime by watching documentaries and listening to podcasts. “I like true crime because it makes me sit back and think about things a little differently, but it also makes me have more paranoia,” she said.

The tragic events surrounding Gabby Petitio have captivated the internet for weeks. The news of Brian Laundrie’s remains being found took the Internet by storm. Many felt passionate enough about this case to take the investigation into their own hands. 

Krafka has seen many attempting to help the investigation by sharing their findings on the internet.  “Honestly the police can only do so much and I think people helping is great,” She said.

It would be unfair to say that only crazy conspiracies have been the result of the media’s popularization of this case as there have been breakthroughs that can be attributed to the power of the internet. Yet with great power comes great responsibility, and some internet users have been quite irresponsible. 

The Laundrie residence has been converted into a tourist attraction, encouraging crime junkies to make the trip to Florida. Twitter has become a wasteland where conspirators take their knowledge from true crime podcasts and project insane theories onto the internet. Some go as far to claim Laundrie is not dead and the FBI is lying. 

Laundrie’s remains were found in the Carlton Reserve. Flocks of people fled to this reserve as soon as it opened, hoping to find evidence of Laundrie’s existence. After a TikToker found Gabby Petitio’s water bottle near where Laundrie’s remains were found, she took to the Internet to share her findings. 

Twitter user @Americanlaw411 posted a photo of her and the girl smiling, showing off the bottle like it was a trophy. This sparked backlash from other Twitter users, with people commenting things like, “This made me sick” and “This is just weird…”. 

If this makes strangers on the internet sick, imagine how this may affect the family. The same goes for when murder sites are turned into tourist atractions. Here in Iowa, you can stay the night at a house where two people were axe murdered. Is this really what true crime fanatics have resorted to?

Someone is making a profit off tragedy so crime junkies can get a thrill. It has become normalized to enjoy learning about true crime because it can be fascinating. An issue arises when one becomes so fascinated that they spread false information and conspiracies thinking they have the capabilities to solve the crime. 

Krafka believes there is a benefit to liking true crime. “I think it is good to have people aware of things that have happened,” she explained. If people know the warning signs, they might be able to prevent themselves from becoming a victim. 

True crime podcasts and documentaries that educate others about warning signs and retells stories respectfully can be enjoyable. When one becomes so obsessed with true crime that  they are actively spreading false information and profiting off tragedy a problem is created.