The Self-Sabotage Files: Criminals Caught by Their Own Clicks
Listen to the Episode
pEpisode Summary
Think you could outsmart the system? Think again. In this episode of Seriously Sus, hosts Miranda and Nanette expose the wildest ways criminals sabotage themselves in the digital age. From Google searches that double as confessions to Snapchat streaks that land you in jail, you’ll hear jaw-dropping stories of overconfidence, livestreamed felonies, and disguises that only a permanent marker could love.
With real cases, expert insights, and a side-eye for every “mastermind” who left a digital trail, this episode dives deep into the psychology of self-snitching and the tech that makes it all possible. Whether you’re a true crime junkie, a tech skeptic, or just here for the cringe, you’ll walk away questioning your own search history—and maybe your friends’.
Tune in for laughs, lessons, and a whole lot of sus. Hit play, and remember: the internet never forgets.
Research Citations
We don’t just side-eye; we cite our sources.
Crime Cases
- Florida Courts: https://www.flcourts.gov/
- PACER Federal Court Records: https://pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case
- The Law Pages – UK Criminal Sentences: https://www.thelawpages.com/court-cases/court-sentences.php
- PBS News: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/florida-woman-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison-for-shooting-neighbor
- Central Florida Public Media: https://www.cfpublic.org/2024-11-26/susan-lorincz-marion-county-woman-shot-a-j-owens-through-door-25-years-prison
- State Attorney’s Office: https://www.sao5.org/lorincz-sentenced-in-manslaughter-of-aj-owens/
- LegalClarity – Attempted Murder in Georgia: https://legalclarity.org/attempted-murder-charges-and-sentencing-in-georgia/
- Wikipedia – Murder of Peter Porco: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Peter_Porco
- Crime Library: https://crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/family/christopher_porco/1_index.html
- FamilySearch – Scotland Court Records: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Court_Records
- Iowa State Courts: https://www.statecourts.org/iowa/
- LA Court: https://ww2.lacourt.org/website/HO0050.aspx
- Orange County Courts: https://www.occourts.org/online-services/case-access
- Project Cold Case Database: https://database.projectcoldcase.org/
- IJIS Institute Whitepaper: https://ijis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LEITTF-Digital-Evidence-Whitepaper.pdf
- UNODC Cybercrime Module: https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/cybercrime/module-6/key-issues/handling-of-digital-evidence.html
- Cambridge Handbook of Digital Evidence: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-handbook-of-digital-evidence-in-criminal-investigations/FF66DE5466BD03F0DFDE2D5EEE3D9DEA
- CPR News – Body Cam Evidence Overload: https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/02/overwhelming-digital-evidence-body-cam-footage/
- Daily Record – Aron Morrison: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/thief-caught-after-flirting-cashier-1197717
- Mirror – Aron Morrison: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/thief-caught-after-flirting-cashier-1197717
- NBC News – Permanent Marker Duo: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32451772
- Des Moines Register – Permanent Marker Duo: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2014/07/21/permanent-marker-mask-burglary/12956373/
- HuffPost – Permanent Marker Duo: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/permanent-marker-mask-duo_n_263758
- Sacramento Bee – Tony Van: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article2592347.html
- CBS News – Tony Van: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-drives-stolen-car-to-court-on-stolen-car-charges/
- Reuters – Tony Van: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-court-idUSTRE7A66Q920111107
- BBC News – Cheyenne Rose Antoine: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42862985
- CBC – Cheyenne Rose Antoine: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/cheyenne-rose-antoine-sentenced-1.4509569
- NY Times – Cheyenne Rose Antoine: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/world/canada/murder-selfie-facebook.html
- NBC News – Livestream Crimes: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/facebook-live-crime-wave-raises-questions-about-social-media-n704911
- CNN – Livestream Crimes: https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/facebook-live-crimes-trnd/index.html
- BBC News – Livestream Crimes: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38564694
- NBC Boston – Brian Walshe murder case updates: Google search evidence legal battle
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/brian-walshe-murder-trial-updates/3760519/ - Las Vegas Review‑Journal – Prosecutors to seek death for suspect in fatal Las Vegas Strip shooting
https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/shootings/prosecutors-to-seek-death-for-suspect-in-fatal-las-vegas-strip-shooting-3408607/
[reviewjournal.com] - Las Vegas Review‑Journal – Suspect in livestreamed Las Vegas Strip shooting pleads not guilty
https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/suspect-in-killing-of-2-on-las-vegas-strip-pleads-not-guilty-trial-set-3409351/
[reviewjournal.com] - KTVU FOX 2 – Newark man arrested after stabbing stranger, livestreaming alleged attack
https://www.ktvu.com/news/newark-man-arrested-after-stabbing-stranger-livestreaming-attack-social-media-fame
[ktvu.com]
Geofence Warrants & Location Data
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geofence_warrant
- https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/LSB/PDF/LSB11274/LSB11274.4.pdf
- https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/03/geofence-warrants-are-unconstitutional
- https://www.lawfareblog.com/geofence-warrants-and-fourth-amendment
GPS Tracking & Legal Precedents
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Knotts
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/10-1259.ZS.html
- https://www.justia.com/criminal/docs/search-seizure/gps-surveillance/
- https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/gps-tracking-and-fourth-amendment
- EDRM – Texas Upholds Narrow Geofence Warrant After Melee Resulted in Murder
https://edrm.net/2025/04/texas-upholds-narrow-geofence-warrant-after-melee-resulted-in-murder/
[edrm.net] - Dameron Law Firm – Wells v. State: Texas Court Cautions Police on Geofence Warrants
https://www.dameronlawfirm.com/blog/wells-v-state-texas-court-cautions-police-on-geofence-warrants
[dameronlawfirm.com]
Social Media Data Access by Law Enforcement
- https://legalclarity.org/can-snapchat-be-traced-by-police-during-investigations/
- https://transparency.fb.com/data/government-data-requests/
- https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ccips/electronic-communications-privacy-act-ecpa
Overconfidence Effect
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconfidence_effect
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537658/full
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/overconfidence
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214009/
Planning Fallacy
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_fallacy
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01922/full
- https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-planning-fallacy-2795487
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214009/
Optimism Bias
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimism_bias
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3153812/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886922000192
Base Rate Fallacy
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_rate_fallacy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214009/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597818300671
Personality Links (Extraversion, Negative Emotionality)
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537658/full
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886922000192
Theory of Mind Deficits
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/27194513
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214009/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886922000192
Criminal Thinking Patterns
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_thinking
- https://mydispense.ucsf.edu/criminals-how-they-think
- https://www.psichi.org/page/283Eye-The-Psychology-Of-People-Who-Commit-Crimes
- https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/09/criminal-minds
Law Enforcement’s Use of Digital Evidence
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_evidence
- https://www.iacpcybercenter.org/investigators/digital-evidence/
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-handbook-of-digital-evidence-in-criminal-investigations/FF66DE5466BD03F0DFDE2D5EEE3D9DEA
- https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/forensics/digital-evidence
Explosion of Digital Data
- https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/02/overwhelming-digital-evidence-body-cam-footage/
- https://ijis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LEITTF-Digital-Evidence-Whitepaper.pdf
- https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/cybercrime/module-6/key-issues/handling-of-digital-evidence.html
Digital Evidence Lifecycle
- https://www.iacpcybercenter.org/investigators/digital-evidence/
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-handbook-of-digital-evidence-in-criminal-investigations/FF66DE5466BD03F0DFDE2D5EEE3D9DEA
Training & Technology Needs
- https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR890.html
- https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/forensics/digital-evidence
- https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/digital-evidence-courtroom
Role of Service Providers
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-handbook-of-digital-evidence-in-criminal-investigations/FF66DE5466BD03F0DFDE2D5EEE3D9DEA
- https://transparency.fb.com/data/government-data-requests/
https://transparencyreport.google.com/user-data/overview?hl=en