Online activity traces around a “Boston bomber”

This paper describes traces of user activity around a alleged online social network profile of a Boston Marathon bombing suspect, after the tragedy occurred. The analyzed data, collected with the help of an automatic social media monitoring software, includes the perpetrator´s page saved at the time the bombing suspects´ names were made public, and the subsequently appearing comments left on that page by other users. The analyses suggest that a timely protection of online media records of a criminal could help prevent a large-scale public spread of communication exchange pertaining to the suspects/criminals´ ideas, messages, and connections.