Download Uncovered’s Citizen Detective Guide

You don’t have to be an investigative journalist to gain access to the millions of documents, emails, computer files, photographs, audiotapes, films that are considered public records under the law. It’s undeniable that news teams and advocacy groups have unveiled...

When was the last time you headed to your public library? Or logged in to access its massive amounts of resources via an online search? Maybe it’s been a while. Or perhaps it’s only been a week or two. But chances are you have no idea how much public information you...

While it’s been getting an increasing amount of attention in recent years, OSINT—which stands for open source intelligence— is nothing new.  It has its roots in the military, which primarily used OSINT decades ago to gather publicly available material, including...

If you’re heavy into research it won’t take long before you’re compiling pages and pages of documents, including case files, police records, interview records, witness testimony, autopsy reports, court evidence, and tons more as part of your research.  And if your...

AUGUST 4, 2022 UPDATE: President Joe Biden signed H.R. 3359 into law! This will transform how unsolved cases will be handled. Not only that, but this is a monumental win for families and case advocates — and it's proof that together, we can help clear the unsolved...

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day.  Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn’t return home after a walk to the neighborhood...

Don’t underestimate the power of your right to get government records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). But what does that mean for a citizen detective? Where are the resources, and how do you get started?FOIA at work in recent years Without the FOIA,...

With criminal investigators increasingly relying on DNA to solve crimes—including cold cases like the Golden State Killer and Le Grêlé, two infamous serial rapists and murderers who went undetected for decades, the demand for the skills of forensic genealogists has...

Ever wanted to make a career move that would get you one step closer to helping solve cold cases—that doesn't mean becoming a detective? How about becoming a Sketch Artist?  While other art-loving kids created landscapes and animals, cartoon characters and designs,...