Users’ curiosity continued even when police said there was no body. Commenters continued to encourage Hansen and law enforcement officers to search elsewhere, such as under the home’s patio.

It’s the latest example of what the Internet calls “armchair detective work,” in which people undertake their own deep dives to find clues they think officers haven’t noticed yet. Experts have suggested that people’s urge to sleuth – which can sometimes spread false accusations and misinformation – is a symptom of the Internet’s obsession with true crime and its desire to indulge in gossip.

Internet audiences reacted similarly earlier this week after Terryon Thomas, the 20-year-old TikTok creator better known as Mr. Prada, was charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. The popular online creator from Baton Rouge was accused of driving the 69-year-old’s stolen vehicle Therapist William Nicholas Abraham, also of Baton Rouge, was found dead on the side of the road near Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, on Sunday.

Thomas found himself in an uproar on social media after claims that he was involved in Abraham’s death went viral. Many posts on TikTok and X, some of which garnered millions of views, speculated about Thomas and Abraham’s relationship.

Hansen began documenting the carpet saga on Monday when she said in a video that she believed her house was haunted after discovering her laptop screen had cracked overnight and items were strewn across her desk. While digging a hole for a fence in their backyard, Hansen and her husband found the carpet.

TikTok comments encouraged Hansen to contact police, who initially told her to try digging up the carpet herself, she said. After several unsuccessful attempts at shoveling, a homicide detective returned and took over the digging, Hansen said.