A TikToker revealed in a now-viral video that internet sleuthing led her to a discovery: an alleged connection between her co-worker and an unsolved murder case.
In the clip posted by Lindsay (@lindsaycte) on Thursday, text overlay reads, “Remembering that time I stalked a coworker so hard I accidentally linked her to an unsolved murder and she was laid off the very next day.” The audio is the chorus of “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, a song users have included in videos while sharing brief stories of outlandish things they’ve done.
“I legit feared for my life that day, ngl [not gonna lie],” the caption reads. The original video has over 13,800 views since Wednesday, and commenters begged for more details.
On Wednesday, Lindsay posted a follow-up video and clarified, “I didn’t solve a murder. I linked her to an unsolved murder.”
Linsday’s initial internet stalking spree was prompted by a conversation over lunch in which the co-worker mentioned that she used to work as a stripper.
“Naturally, I’m gonna look her up on Facebook,” said Lindsay. “But when I did, she was under a different name.”
Lindsay said she searched the name on the co-worker’s profile with the name of the small town she was from.
Lindsay then showed a screenshot of an article clipping with sensitive information like names crossed out with marker. Per the report, her co-worker was allegedly involved in a case in which a man, whose name was redacted, was having an extramarital affair. After the man separated from his wife, the wife was found “stabbed over 40 times.”
The article continues to say that an “unsigned letter arrived at the police headquarters” and that the writer alleged that the husband did not kill his wife, providing details that “only the actual murderer would know.”
In a comment on the follow-up, Lindsay said, “The company had a layoff in the days leading up to this. I believe they doubled back and told her she was included in the layoff. It was def sketch.”
The Daily Dot located the original, unredacted article clipping that identifies the man as Larry Padgett and reports that he was charged and convicted of murder in 1992 after semen samples from the crime scene were analyzed.
However, the conviction was reversed in 1995, and the defense pointed to Judy Bagwell—the TikToker’s alleged co-worker—as a suspect. During the retrial in 1997, Bagwell was not investigated for her involvement in the murder, and Padgett was found not guilty.
“Just imagine reading this, knowing who it’s about, and then she’s sitting in the cube next to me as I’m reading it,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay clarified in a TikTok direct message with the Daily Dot that she “didn’t set out to get anyone fired,” and her co-worker was one of many to be laid-off.
“I found the court docs and did share the info with my direct supervisor. The next day the layoff included more than just her, but it was wild timing,” Lindsay wrote. “No one ever mentioned it to me again at the office. The layoff was due to staffing.”
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