Murders that involve social media might leave digital breadcrumbs for investigators - but otherwise they're pretty much like any other foul deed, according to a new study. Elizabeth Yardley and David Wilson examined 48 cases of 'Facebook murder' - cases where use of the social-networking site was reported by the media as a significant factor in the crime. Their conclusion: There isn't anything truly out of the ordinary about these slayings. 'Killings reportedly involving Facebook would appear - on the whole - to reflect what we know about homicide in general,' Yardley said in an email. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The researchers identified six types of killers among the Facebook-related cases, most of which occurred in the U.K. and the U.S. But they say it's unlikely that social media increased or decreased the likelihood of a homicide. 'I don't think Facebook is any more to blame for these killings than a knife is to blame for a stabbing,' Yardley said. 'Facebook is a tool for communication and we should be looking at what it is that people are trying to communicate.' Their study was published in the peer-reviewed Howard Journal of Criminal Justice.
First published November 3 2014, 2:34 PM
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