Forensics

Social Media Forensics: Coroners using Facebook to find victims' next of kin

In an age where landlines are becoming obsolete, coroners have to keep up with the times. Instead of flipping through the yellow pages looking for relatives after a death, they're searching friend lists on Facebook and making connections from around the globe.  

"We actually found family on one that was in Germany, and family on another particular case that was in Greece," said Owens. "It took us about a week and a half to locate them, but we were able to do so using that social media piece."  

In March of last year, the agency was again saved by social media.   

After a gunman who opened fire in the Boise Foothills was shot and killed by law enforcement, the agency hit a dead end searching for next of kin. Eventually, they reached out to the public for answers. But it was Facebook that allowed them to finally track down the man's mother in another state.