Here's exactly what joining looks like.
No hazing, no test, no true-crime résumé required. Four steps, and you can stop at any of them.
- 01Join free and just read
You'll get the free Case File and an invite to the private community. Nobody expects you to post. Most new members lurk for a couple of weeks, read the monthly briefing, and get a feel for how we work.
- 02Come to a Lab Room
A three-hour, in-person working session on one case, capped small so everyone has a job. You'll be handed a task you can actually do on day one — reading a records batch, checking dates, mapping a route. $25 a seat.
- 03Learn the craft
Masterclasses taught by practitioners: how to write a FOIA request that gets answered, how to run OSINT on archived sources, what forensic reports really say. Take them in any order.
- 04Take on real responsibility
Experienced members become team captains, run their own Lab Rooms, and act as the point of contact with partner agencies on a case.
Work only from public records. Never contact a family, a witness, or a suspect. Never name someone who hasn't been charged. Cite your source or it doesn't count. That's the whole deal, and it's non-negotiable.