Solving a 30-Year-Old Murder Mystery Using the Internet | Super Users
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- Опубліковано 3 лис 2020
- When Todd Matthews first tried to work out the identity of ‘Tent Girl’, an unknown woman who’d been found dead wrapped in a canvas sheet, it seemed impossible. Then the internet came along.
Tent Girl had been missing since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until Matthews took his search online, creating the website tentgirl.com in 1997, that officials were finally able to identify her. Long before the days of Netflix’s Don’t F**k With Cats, he became the world’s first cyber sleuth.
His work inspired thousands of amateur internet detectives investigating missing persons cases and unsolved crimes all over the world. We met him to find out how the internet shifted the way investigations are shaped and the legacy he created by identifying Tent Girl.
In Super Users, we go down an internet rabbit hole to hear from people whose lives have become defined by their online presence.
Watch more from this series:
Posing as an Old Lady to Expose Online Scammers
bit.ly/2H5mmiI
I Got Addicted to Heroin in Front of 1.5 Million UA-cam Subscribers
bit.ly/3j19Yh0
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You’re telling me that he’s being rocking that moustache since he was 17 years old? What a legend
Same with my old man lol lmfao he has been rocking his stash since he was 18 lol lmfao he got rid of his soul patch year and years ago probably when I was about 18 he got rid of the soul patch lol I'm 30 now but ya he is 60 an still rocking his stash it is almost the exact same style as well lol lmfao.
@@trey98642 lol lmfao
@@badcornflakes6374 I think it is funny how ppl will get a style done and then just rock it all their life lol me I have a beard but I shave it as well I let it grow all the way fully out starting at the end of summer and keep it all winter and then I shave off my beard in the summer and I stay shaved in summer.
@Mike Nolan mmmhmmm 🤔
@@badcornflakes6374 lol lmfao
I love the fact that we as humans can care so much for someone we never met and know nothing about, to see that body as another human and try to give it a name and a life, and hopefully closure to the family.
If only we cared about the living as much.
Amen
@\f_a/ well clout didn't exactly exist back then so we can tell this guy was somewhat genuine
@@alifelessrock48 I agree
@@alifelessrock48 you can't speak. You're a lifeless rock.
The true mystery is how this dude
Is literally from the 80s talking to us
In 2020
Time travel is real, now we know!
hes 60ish
lmao
😂😂😂😂🐝
is it just me or 2:53 gave me shivers
That dream is chilling. "Cut me out and you'll know"
Yeah creepy 😬
Yeeaahhhh
I get dreams like this once and a while... he could have developed PTSD
@@alymetz2020 good idea
Spirits exist.
The one that always stuck with me was “Orange Socks”. Never thought they’d find her identity. So glad it was finally solved!
People like this are real heroes. I remember the internet back then... wow. He was running in water. Such tenacity!!
Rip Ms. Debra Jackson. I remember that case too! So happy for the good natured people of the world.
My pet case was Lyle Stevik...I was 110% certain they would never find out who he was. He died shortly after 9/11 (one theory was that the attacks had triggered his suicide) and I was a 9/11 survivor from NYC so maybe that's why I felt a connection to the case.
Omg yes yes I thought of that gjrl right before j click all she had was orange socks
Yep that's the early dial up internet hello from Australia
I hope they figure out who peaches is one day
Just imagine if his girlfriend never told him that story
@Shane Chambers what’s that have to do with anything.
@Shane Chambers that’s the biggest mystery of this. How she doesn’t know
@Shane Chambers This man has inspired me to delve into solving a mystery. I’m trying to link toxic masculinity to internalized homophobia, to prove a hypothesis that such traits must exist for men to think that they can judge somebody’s sexuality based on anything other than their sexuality. I think you and your friend AxelSpott can help me out! Hmu through your grindr profiles if you’re down to participate :-)
@@seen-cv2jn mystery solved toxic masculinity doesn’t exist it’s just some guys are dicks
Toxic masculinity does exist....but I guess in this case are just two guys pretending to be funny
They should make a Netflix documentary on this
i would love to see this along with other "internet detectives"
Is anyone reading the description
@@apleatherworking9952 the description only mentioned netflix’s dfwc which isn’t related to this case at all
Just give a year or so.
Every time someone mentions Netflix I go into the comment section to look for
The one comment about cuties .....
And now I finally realize
I’m that comment
Jeeeeez
But yeah Netflix should make a doc on this. They give millions of dollars to dumpster piles
We all owe a debt of gratitude to this man. In a world where evil and apathy seem so commonplace individuals like him can make a difference. And do so, without titles or staff or compensation.
On the fbi website there’s missing persons from like 40-50 years ago. It’s honestly sad
It really makes u rethink life like it’s too precious
He’s the bob ross of internet investigations
Anyone else think Todd has a really soothing voice?
I’d absolutely love to listen to him narrate audiobooks and YT “scary stories to sleep to”.
Deadtime Stories lol.
No its annoyed me and sometimes triggered anger feeling
I’m happy she was finally identified. Now we have to find who the “ boy in the box” is .
dude was cool looking when he was young
Still is
@@LordDark102 he also looks like he could be ben stillers twin brother lol
It will happen to you
This man is doing a true justice to the world. A hero in many rights.
We got internet at my parents home when I was 16, and to this day it still amazes me how awesome of a tool it can’t be when we aren’t caught up in celebrity drama, or some of the uselessness that gets thrown at us on social media. Rock on man, you’re one of my heroes.
I remember hearing a story about a woman I went to church with as a little girl. My mom got a voicemail from her telling her what her plans were. The woman was standing at a pay phone at a gas station when a man came up and stabbed her to death. No motive. The murder went unsolved for the last 23 years until this year when DNA testing finally determined who the murderer was. My mom felt like she could finally put that memory to rest!
Wow. Bless his heart it all started with she belongs to someone, and she has a name. 😑😢💐
This wonderful man, checks all the boxes with me, on the humanity scale.💖
Damn, they should make a movie out of this guy's story.
I got one hell of a case for this guy! And more ppl definitely need to be like him. More need to care and remember fully outside of ones self so you can see/solve the bigger issues...even if they are 30+ yrs cold.
I need this guys help reguarding my mother's death(20 years).
Just like this guy... I've searched 20 ways from Sunday and I really got a case for this guy...please see and help... I know advice that there is 20 million comments usually but please this one is worth it deals with a lot of other taboos
Sorry to hear about that but what really happen to your mom?
once you eliminate the impossible what ever remains, how ever improbable, must be the truth.
I might be able to help. What happened to your Mom?
Her gravestone didn't look anything like her.
Considering they etched her photo from a dead woman I think it was similar in appearance
This is humanity at it's best. Give it up for this real life hero. Theres so much division and badness in the world. This guy is just good. Wich is hard to come by in a an internet and world full of hatred . He was one of the 1st cybersleuths RESPECT
The toughest substance known to man is not diamond, It's will power and you have that in plenty sir. Good job.
This guy had the same style throughout the 80s,90s and now. I salute
I’ve known Todd Matthews for almost 15 years. He’s a genius and and such a genuinely nice guy. He’s told this story many times and each time I hear it, I learn something new I didn’t pick up the last time I heard him tell it. Should be made into a new documentary. I drive by this cemetery where she’s buried almost every day. Fascinating.
This guy looks like he came straight out of an 80s movie.
😂 He was so immersed that he actually dreamt the exhumation process in detail; he saw the decomposing body. My heart goes out to his wife!
What’s funny about that?
I hope you never go missing. You're less than deserving of dedication akin to his.
Edit: Do you even know what "exhumed" means?
Maybe she was reaching out to him! Who would want justice more than her?
i thought clowns could take a joke... i guess not 🤷
The internet has changed everything in the world and glad to hear it's helping with cases such as this one!!
It’s a Gift and a curse
What he did is certainly very important but I think the title of the video is misleading. The video doesn't show solving who killed the murder victim and why they did it. It only shows identification part of it.
Getting the name is certainly a part of solving the mystery tho.
Law enforcers already did. The prime suspect was her own husband for not reporting her missing, the husband's alibi was she left him for another man. The problem was she had daughter and did not even tried to contact her family
He found her name. That’s important.
The prime suspect was her husband but he died before she was identified.
He sounds like the family guy character that says “OH , NOoooo!”
BRUCE! you are 100% right.
With all due respect, what region of the US is this accent common? I always thought the Bruce character was an exaggeration and didn’t realize that his accent exists in the real world.
@@DilipkumarJadhav I think in the video it says this man is from Kentucky? So perhaps parts of the US south?
And Cleveland
I knoOooOw!
Todd is great. He’s a family friends and a part time substitute teacher where i go to school. It’s crazy what he’s done for everyone.
Love this guys grit and determination - he really honoured her memory.
Vice is actually watchable when you don't have to listen to one of their 'interviewers'.
Are you kidding me? Isobel Yeung is one of the best journalists of her time.
@@badluckcity muhmuhmuh, most of them aren't great.
Some of them are weird but Hamilton??? Cmon now
@@youngggodd1829 fair point, i love Hamilton
Yah only watchable one is Thomas Morton and Ryan Duffy before he left. Hamilton is the worst. 90 lbs of human self satisfaction smugness
If he couldn’t find the person that killed her at least she finally got justice for that awful likeness on her tombstone. I’m 35 I like to think I got the best of both worlds. No internet no cell phones at least not until I was a pre-teen. Well not my house that is. That website he initially set up is how everything looked. This is an incredible story. I wish we could hear more like it.
Agrees on the best of both worlds. I'm 34 and i say that all the time. Childhood was tech free and as I got preteen and teenage years, tech burst onto the scene and my age group were one of the first to have home computers and cell phones.... they were around before but wasn't common in a regular household until then.
You are quite an amazing human being. You went well above and beyond for someone you didn't even know! We need more people like you
I need more of this series! Amazing quality news Vice
it’s crazy how callings happen. you were meant to help this woman. rip 🖤
Very cool, thank you for going out of your way to bring closure to this family!
I'm from Georgetown and I remember when they dug her up. Before then it was always talked about us locals. Glad they found out who she was.
I gotta admit Vice, you guys are putting out great videos again. This is stuff EVERYONE can enjoy... Thank you.
Earth is still blessed with people like him. Thanks sir
" It was more like an obligation " ... What a hero
I know Todd Matthews- not only an incredibly smart man, but has such a big heart. He spoke at a conference of an organization I belong to. His talk about “ The Tent Girl” brought the largest audience we had for the entire conference. Plus, you gotta love his his genuine accent 😊
I'm so glad people like this exist. I cant imagine the drive it would take to keep going at that pace before the internet.
Him: "My future wife..."
Me: Well there's a twist!
Kudos to him for his dedicated work. And also for not changing that hair style and moustache. Shows he is serious about his dedication.
Oh man. That Dial up internet connection noise brings me back. MOM, Get off the phone! Im online!
He immersed his self in her shoes, lived it, breathed it! That’s what you call a great detective !
That's pretty amazing and the peace he gave to her family is priceless.
Beautiful hard work paying off.
I’m glad he cared enough to look into it
Amazing good people are still out there. Great work man.
He still looks like when he was in the 80s
This guy is a hero in my mind. Thank you. The paranormal dream is so heartbreaking and creepy. I’m thinking she was influencing him from the grave. He helped start the Doe Network. Amazing. It’s helped so many Does to find their families. God bless him.
Hello from Singapore... Good on this guy! And the EAR/ONS case was solved 2 years back too!
Amazing story! Thank you! ❤️
Mr. Matthews, as the adopted son of a [retired] police officer & investigator, I have NOTHING but the utmost fascination and respect for what you've done for "Tent Girl"! Also, mad props for your pioneering work to help others!
I want to see more about this! What a fascinating story!
Thanks this is awesome work.
I live in Ky n had never heard of this case. Thanks Vice. Good story.
Damn, I wish I had anyone care 1/10th as much as this guy did about some stranger... 💔😞
Be the hero you want, I guess, if you can’t get what you want
if you ever need anyone to talk to, my instagram is godspeeding and my dms are open!
Same
You can always talk to me I have a listening ear
Chilled me to the bone. Amazing human being.
Such a kind man...
I'm very much so impressed
Todd Matthews have given his heart and mind refuse to stop.. He's proven exceptional Persons are out and about caring for the unknown~nameless Persons 💞
damn this was too short!! so good.
I swore it was Marty Huggins talking when this video started.
On a serious note, thank you for doing what you do. You are an unsung hero ❤ God bless you!
I bet this guy had a sweet Pontiac Trans Am
I wish! lol
@@toddmatthews1575 it's never too late man haha
After spending all his money on phone calls he only had enough for a 2.7 L Charger
@@michaelg1237 ...with catalytic converter delete .. 😂😂
@@multirob137 and cranking Def Leppard's Photograph
This is amazing!
Great man. Amazing.
Maybe we can learn from this. That we should find our own good cause to fight for.
Shame on the people who thumbs down this video this man is helping putting family minds at peace shame on y’all
Todds amazing. He has solved so many cold cases
Thats so weird, i live in Lexington,Kentucky and grew up in Georgetown, thats where they buried her and put the tent girl tombstone. I can remember my mom taking me to see it...great work
Small world
Did they ever catch whomever was responsible for this poor woman's demise?
It was him
@@davidbarnes4742 wut
No, you're safe...
No they never caught them. It was suspected the killer was her husband, but he passed away from cancer before she was ever identified. It’s in the wind now.
@@claudiusatlas8083 sad after this guy worked so hard for a result still it is some of the better content i have seen on Vice for a while smoking Pot out of household items isnt news Vice.
Bless this man. I hope this lady can rest in peace.
Great story. But did anyone else notice on his computer the ad says "wrapped and ready" as a ad above the search box. Kinda odd and morbid I know. But weird
This guy is amazing. What a sweet man.
Thank you for what you did, god bless
Mr. Todd was my substitute for theater last week, he's a nice guy and told us the entire tent girl story during class
I'm so glad people like him exist ♥
Blessings to this man. Wow!
Vice has been pretty on it recently - love content like this 👍
I am _from_ Kentucky, and I had never heard of this story!
Have you heard about Kentucky Fried Chicken 🐔
@@PissTakeProduction .... What about it? It's disgusting.
Everyone should have a name to go with their face. Omg, I truly believe that gal came 2 u in your dream! I do not believe in accidents, the good you did is so VERY AWESOME! David Paulides, an advocate for the Missing 411, Adam Walsh, who lost his son in the most horrible way, you folks are the liasons so to speak for the dead. May they always have a voice. Thankyou for your diligence. God bless you, sir!
His vocabulary is so good he should be a writer.
I do the same thing this guy was doing for fun. Looking through unidentified does and looking for matches within the missing persons. This guy is a hero it’s hard now I can’t imagine doing it in the 80s
Rest in peace Todd . You did a great thing for this world. Your funeral was beautiful. We will all miss you
Amazing story !
Wow. Hats off to you mate.
Bless this man
Wow... This is truly remarkable
Awww that kinda made me cry alittle how he hyper empathy just wanted her name to be known..
That is really endearing
This guy is a national treasure.
You had me up to “so ya know, I grabbed a butcher knife 🔪 to cut this imaginary figure out of the tent”... I’m glad a name was finally given to Tent Girl though 💜
This dude is awesome! ❤
Many Blessings to that man.
Wow amazing story of positivity!
Well done, fella!
please make more of these type videos
thank-you for caring about her.
Damn, your work must be appreciated. I always feel.haunting to hear your story.
good job!