As social media detectives rise in popularity, Callum Fahim – who tried to solve the cases of Jay Slater and Nicola Bulley – reveals why he does it
Just weeks after Catherine O’Sullivan’s 22-year-old son Jack disappeared, she received her first social media message from an amateur detective.
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“I know where he is. I know where he is buried.
“I know who killed him,” he said.
“Jack wasn’t actually missing on the date this person mentioned, so I knew immediately it was fake,” says Catherine, 52.
“But it could have been very traumatic if it hadn’t been so obvious that they didn’t know anything.”
Missing since March after a night out in Bristol with friends, Jack’s case has attracted the attention of online detectives clamoring to share theories and “solve” the mystery of his unexplained disappearance.
And Catherine’s experience is far from unique.
In fact, increasingly, high-profile missing persons cases are proving to attract strangers.
When mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing in January 2023 – the only trace of her was a mobile phone found abandoned on a riverbank bench and her pet spaniel loose – social media detectives targeted St Michael’s in Wyre, the sleepy Lancashire village where she was from.
The police were forced to disperse influencers who were taking photos and videos there.
TikTok was buzzing with videos posted by armchair detectives touting theories about what had happened, while others scoured forests and abandoned buildings, their smartphones recording the hunt.
More recently, when 19-year-old Jay Slater disappeared on holiday in Tenerife in June, not only was social media awash with users talking about the case, but several detectives also boarded flights to the island to get involved in his hunt. , before the Spanish Civil Guard discovered his body in a ravine last month.
Even after that, detectives persevered, trying to access autopsy details that had not been released by authorities.
With more than 32,000 followers, TikTok user Callum Fahim, from London, is one of those who traveled to Tenerife to help with the search.
“I didn’t know Jay, but I reached out to the family and made connections with people on the island who lived there, and we all got together and looked,” he says.
“We notified the police, but they didn’t want us to get involved.”
Enthusiastic hiker Callum searched the remote area where Jay was last, walking in scorching heat for any clues to the bricklayer’s apprentice’s whereabouts.
The search was in vain and Jay’s body was discovered days after Callum returned to the UK.
‘I’m interested in hard-to-solve cases’
Jay isn’t the first missing person Callum has tried to find. “I’m interested in hard-to-solve cases.
“I’m not a criminologist or expert, just a normal person.
“I did some research online about Madeleine McCann and I also went to the place where Nicola Bulley disappeared to do some research,” he says.
There are many who believe people like Callum should stay away and leave it to the professionals, but he insists he can add something worthwhile.
I didn’t know Jay, but I looked up the family and made connections with people on the island who lived there
Callum Fahim
“I have only offered help in areas where I know I can give 100%, such as planning, map reading and hiking – I have never claimed to be able to do anything else.
“If trying to find a missing person would hinder any kind of criminal investigation, of course I would stay away.
“I would never, ever do anything that would jeopardize bringing anyone back to safety.”
Psychologist Emma Kenny says most people trying to help have, like Callum, good intentions.
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“Most of the time, people do this because it comes from a position of social responsibility.
“I think people genuinely believe that if they are there, there will be a greater opportunity to find the missing person.
“Some people also do this because they distrust authorities – they believe they don’t care as diligently as they would like.”
Emma warns that not all detectives have the best intentions.
“Some people do this to promote themselves, to attract clicks and to gain followers,” she says.
I would never, ever, ever do anything to risk bringing anyone back to safety
Callum Fahim
Callum says in recent weeks he has been contacted by other families of missing people.
“Many people came to me.
“It’s heartbreaking, but I will continue doing what I do, trying to help in cases where I feel I can offer something.
“In the past, I have self-funded and received money from families who wanted me to help.
“I’m not trying to be like some other TikTok users who try to get famous.
“If I can help one person, I’m happy.”
But former homicide detective David Swindle says social media detectives can be extremely detrimental to police investigations.
“Being involved in serious crime and missing persons investigations, I have always been concerned about so-called unqualified experts approaching families and making public statements about ongoing investigations.
“Families desperate for answers are vulnerable and so will try to use all the help they can get.
“Unfortunately, this ‘expert’ help is not always credible.
‘Families desperate for answers are vulnerable, so they will try to use all the help they can get’
“People who generate content on social media to promote their own theories in cases like Nicola Bulley and Jay Slater can obstruct ongoing investigations.
“I am a supporter of the use of social media and podcasts – however this needs to be managed carefully to ensure nothing obstructs police work.”
For some families caught in the nightmare of a missing loved one, any assistance is welcome.
At the time of publishing this article, Catherine’s son Jack, a history and law graduate, now 23, had not been seen since March 2, after leaving a house party.
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Police said his phone remained active on the Find My Friends app until 6.44am, but there was no trace of him, much to the dismay of his family, who lodged a formal complaint against Avon And Somerset Police in June over their handling of the issue. . case.
Since her disappearance, a Facebook community called “Find Jack” was created by Catherine’s family and now has almost 40,000 members.
Although she has received some disturbing messages, overall she is grateful to the online community.
“I get people contacting me every day saying they are doing their own research, walking the route, going out at different times at night, really trying their best to help us.”
As the search for Jack continues, Emma warns that some detectives will approach cases without good intentions.
“There are selfish social media users out there, including those who are narcissists and even psychopaths.
“It’s all about them and they don’t think about the consequences of their actions.
“They want to be at the center and be the most important person in a story.
“These are the dangerous ones.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
