^{Democracy & Technology Blog} Internet a “treasure trove” for catching criminals

Some of the fascinating ways social media sites are making it easier for police to nab the bad guys, from FOXNews.com,

• Police in Indiana were able to arrest a New York fugitive who turned himself in by posting his workplace on his MySpace and Facebook pages.
• A Florida man who was convicted of murdering of his friend was caught because he posted pictures of the friend on his MySpace page next to the words “rest in peace” and “live through me,” hours before the death was even reported to police.
• A burglar in Pennsylvania who ransacked a home and stole some jewelry was caught after the victim found the burglar’s Facebook account open on her home computer.
• A bank fraud fugitive in Washington was turned in by a Facebook friend when the fugitive boasted about his new life in Mexico.
• An Oregon burgler was caught when his victim found the stolen property advertised on Craigslist.

“We utilize data posted on blogs and various social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to validate and corroborate information we have developed regarding the target of an investigation,” a retired New York detective told FoxNews.com. “…These sites are a potential treasure trove.”