Online conjecture about his absence has been sparked by the case, and only on Sunday did Mr. Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan feel obligated to address the “awful comments and theories filling social media”.
A number of Facebook groups devoted to the case were established within days of his disappearance; some of these groups went on to garner hundreds of thousands of members.
Several group members used them as a means of expressing compassion for the adolescent, his family, and friends, or to have thoughtful conversations about what might happen to him.
But the narrative also gave rise to a series of ludicrous speculations, many of which were based on unverified rumors, manipulated pictures of internet chats from individuals associated with the case, and, in some cases, phony films that claimed to depict Mr. Slater or his circumstances.
Users falsely and abusively described members of his family in a few posts. For some, the predicament of Mr. Slater served as inspiration for memes and lighthearted ideas about how rescuers may locate him.
Members of those social media groups vented their rage at people who had made derogatory remarks or unfounded allegations shortly after it was announced that a body thought to be that of the 19-year-old had been discovered.
