Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2014 | Page 52

FORENSICS JOURNAL

the investigation and justice. As Kotylak was still a minor, his name
should not have been made public (Beaumont). As a result of his
name being released, Kotylak and his family were forced to flee their
home because their address was posted on social media and the internet by the public (Beaumont). The posting of the address by social
vigilantes caused the family to relocate, thus impeding the investigation, prompting concerns about rights, and violating the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Schiender & Trottier, 60).

cally classify Sunil Tripathi’s death as a suicide, there were factors
indicating his death was likely a suicide. In March 2012, Sunil Tripathi disappeared from his apartment and left behind a note that hinted
at suicide (Schaefer). The Tripathi family was concerned previously
with Sunil Tripathi’s mental health, as he suffered from depression
(Schaefer). Speculation remains that the incident did not help Sunil
Tripathi’s troubled mindset. The police require further investigation,
but social media witch hunts during the Boston Marathon bombing
raise concerns about social media as a law enforcement tool.

However, problems with citizen engagement and social media during
the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot investigation were not limited to
the case of Nathan Kotylak. A suspect’s information posted on social
media sites also caused many hate and prejudicial messages to appear.
When people on the internet tag or link the suspect’s details to posts
made about him or her, it allows persons to easily access a medium
through which to send messages. One of many victims of such messages was Robert Snelgrove who was intoxicated after the game and
joined the rioting (Beaumont). Snelgrove was identified on social
media sites and hateful messages were sent to his profiles (Beaumont).
He explained that the messages were mild at first, but then got worse
as persons began to use homophobic slurs and tell him that he should
kill himself (Beaumont). Snelgrove and other victims abused by the
public online must be of equal concern to the justice community as
the messages escalated into action.

When assessing the