Online Murder Cases Risk Becoming Viral Memes, Experts Warn

The brutal killing of a 14-year-old Wisconsin girl and the online aftermath have created a troubling new phenomenon in digital culture, with aspects of the murder rapidly evolving into viral content across social platforms despite efforts to stem the tide.

Lily Peters was killed in April 2022 while walking home from her aunt’s house in Chippewa Falls. Her 14-year-old cousin was charged with the crime, which prosecutors say involved sexual assault followed by blunt force trauma and strangulation. As the community reeled from the tragedy, something disturbing happened online: the murder began transforming into meme material.

Social media users across TikTok, Twitter, and other platforms started creating videos, jokes, and comments referencing the case, often in callous ways that demonstrated little regard for the victim or her family. Many posts featured users speculating about the case, with some even defending the alleged perpetrator through a disturbing combination of dark humor and misplaced sympathy.

“What we’re seeing is the gamification of tragedy,” explained Dr. Sarah Coleman, a digital media researcher at Northwestern University. “When horrific events become fodder for engagement, likes, and shares, it represents a fundamental breakdown in empathy accelerated by how social platforms reward attention-seeking behavior.”

The Peters case is far from the first instance of this phenomenon. Similar patterns emerged following other high-profile crimes, including the 2022 stabbing of four University of Idaho students and various school shootings. In each instance, online communities formed around the events, creating content that ranged from amateur sleuthing to outright mockery of victims.

Platform companies have struggled to respond effectively. Content moderation teams at Meta, TikTok, and Twitter (now X) have attempted to remove the most egregious examples, but their efforts often lag behind the speed at which such content propagates. The algorithmic nature of these platforms means that once a topic gains momentum, related content spreads exponentially.

“There’s a fundamental tension between platforms’ business models, which reward engagement, and their ethical responsibilities,” said Carlos Ramírez, former content policy director at a major tech company. “When tragedy becomes trending content, moderation systems designed for scale often fail to recognize the nuanced ways harmful material manifests.”

Law enforcement officials express growing concern about these developments. “Beyond being deeply disrespectful to victims and their families, this trend can actively hamper investigations and court proceedings,” noted FBI behavioral analyst Jennifer Dawson. “When cases become internet fodder, it becomes harder to find unbiased jurors and witnesses may be influenced by viral, often inaccurate narratives.”

The phenomenon also raises questions about the psychological impact on those creating and consuming such content. Researchers point to a potential normalization effect, where repeated exposure to violence in meme format may diminish natural empathetic responses.

“Young users especially may not fully comprehend the real-world implications of their online behavior,” said child psychologist Dr. Marcus Bennet. “What begins as an attempt to participate in trending topics can inadvertently contribute to a culture that dehumanizes victims of violence.”

Families of victims face an additional layer of trauma when their loved ones’ deaths become viral content. Support groups report that many families now have to contend not only with grief but also with monitoring and reporting harmful content across multiple platforms.

Media literacy experts suggest that addressing this problem requires a multifaceted approach: stronger content moderation systems, better education about digital citizenship, and potentially new legislative frameworks that specifically address the exploitation of violent crimes for online engagement.

“The commodification of tragedy isn’t new—tabloids have long profited from sensational coverage of violence,” noted media historian Dr. Elena Washington. “What’s changed is the scale, speed, and participatory nature of how these narratives now spread, with everyday users becoming active distributors rather than passive consumers.”

As platform companies continue developing more sophisticated content detection systems, communities themselves may play an important role in establishing new norms. Some online groups have begun actively discouraging the sharing of memes related to real-world violence, particularly involving minors.

For now, cases like Lily Peters’ remain sobering reminders of how quickly the digital landscape can transform personal tragedy into public entertainment—and of the urgent need to recalibrate our collective approach to consuming and creating content about real-world violence.