Whether the frenzy of attention and internet sleuthing has helped the Gabby Petito investigation is not clear, but it has illuminated the intersection between social media and the public's fascination with true-crime stories.
Months before her disappearance and killing drew more than a half-billion views on TikTok, Petito, 22, and 23-year-old boyfriend Brian Laundrie set out on a cross-country road trip over the summer in a van she decorated boho-chic style.
The disappearance and death of Gabby Petito and the police hunt for her boyfriend have generated a whirlwind online, with a multitude of armchair detectives and others sharing tips, possible sightings and theories by way of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.