Morgan Absher

An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a computer network that uses the internet protocol for communication.

So internet protocol equals IP.

And so essentially this IP address is like a direct mailing address for that device.

It basically can reveal the approximate location, but it doesn't actually provide a precise home address, which I found to be pretty interesting.

Yeah.

And I mean, we've talked about MapQuest and Expedia, but like,

There weren't apps like Google Maps was not a thing.

You don't have Apple Maps on your iPhone.

The technology, even though it's not that long ago, was vastly different.

But they knew that like, OK, this is coming from Expedia.com.

So next, investigators sent Microsoft and Expedia a subpoena.

They wanted every IP address who had searched for a map of West Alton between the day of Bill's article, May 19th, and the day that the letter was mailed, May 21st.

So, I mean, they had a pretty tight window, at least.

You have the website, you have the dates, and you have the coordinates.

And Expedia responded with only one IP address.

The user assigned to that number had clicked to zoom in on this specific area in West Alton 10 times until the map on his screen looked exactly like the version that was sent to investigators.

After submitting another subpoena to the internet service provider who supplied that IP address, they were able to trace it to a home in Ferguson, Missouri on June 3rd.

Like a week later.

Just a week later.

And I will, I'll give them credit here.