Sources & Methodology

Sourcing principles

Every factual claim about a real person on this site must be anchored to a verifiable public source. We don't publish speculation, rumor, or "sources say" without a named publication behind it.

Each Case and Person page cites a minimum of two independent sources where possible. When only one strong source exists for a fact, we say so plainly and mark the content accordingly.

Accepted source types

We cite, in roughly decreasing order of weight:

  • Court filings — indictments, plea documents, sentencing records, appellate opinions
  • Official statements — police / sheriff / prosecutor press releases; state DOC inmate locators
  • Reputable news outlets — wire services (AP, Reuters), national and regional papers, established broadcast journalism
  • Netflix Tudum and official production press — for show-related production facts
  • Encyclopedias — Wikipedia is used only as a pointer to primary sources, never as the sole citation for a factual claim

Language precision

We distinguish carefully between alleged and adjudicated facts. We write charged with, pleaded guilty to, convicted of, acquitted of — not did, is, or committed — unless a final verdict supports the strongest language. Every Perpetrator page shows a per-charge status pill so the reader can see the distinction at a glance.

Review cadence

Every Case and Person page is re-verified on a cycle of no more than 180 days. Each page shows a "Last reviewed" date and the reviewer identifier at the bottom.

Corrections

If a source we cite disappears, changes its reporting, or if a legal status changes (a conviction is overturned, a charge is dropped, an inmate is released), we update the affected pages and note the change. File a correction via the Contact page.

What we don't do

  • We don't reconstruct private details about survivors from scratch. Anything attributed to a survivor comes from material that survivor has self-published or consented to publish.
  • We don't include residential addresses, the names of minor relatives, or photographs of survivors and victims without explicit consent or a self-publication record.
  • We don't describe injuries or violence beyond what the court record establishes.