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The murder of Seth Rich remains under investigation today in the strange case that prompted widespread conspiracy theories falsely tying the death of the Democratic Party aide to WikiLeaks.
Rich was 27 years old when he was gunned down in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. at 4:20 a.m. July 10, 2016. The case remains unsolved. His murder quickly drew speculation from conspiracy theorists following vague comments from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Internet conspiracy theorists speculated it was Rich, not Russia, who leaked internal DNC documents to WikiLeaks. The case gained traction after misstated information was reported by Fox News.
The murder of Rich and the conspiracy theories that surrounded his death was the subject of Episode 2 of the new Netflix series, “Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Seth Rich’s Mom Said There Have Been No Leads to Follow in His Murder Case
After four years of silence and a settlement with Fox News, Seth Rich’s parents are ready to talk about the harm conspiracy theories do
My interview, from NPR’s @MorningEdition
Mary Rich, the mother of Seth Rich, told NPR that there have been no leads to follow to solve the murder case of her son. She said she had promised she would fight for justice for him.
“We have said from Day 1, we will follow the truth and whoever provides the truth, we will follow that path,” Mary Rich told NPR. “So far, there’s been nothing to follow.”
She recalled a line from her son’s acceptance letter as DNC aid in her interview with NPR, saying “how proud he was ‘to be able to work to make a change.’
“Those words are who my son was,” she told NPR. “Those words are also on his cemetery stone.”
“He wanted to make a difference,” added Joel Rich, Seth Rich’s dad.
Rich’s Parents Settled a Lawsuit With Fox News After the Network Spread Conspiracy Theories in the Murder
From Seth Rich’s murder to a woman who unintentionally became a mouthpiece for white nationalists, Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & The Internet is a 6 part anthology about finding yourself caught in the twisted web of modern misinformation & digital deception. Now on Netflix
Mary Rich told NPR that the combined trauma of her son’s death and the attacks from conspiracy theorists caused an intense and lasting distrust.
“We thought that when the lawsuit was over, our lives would be able to go back” to a sense of normalcy, she told NPR. “People would know and understand that there was a big lie. And I have realized since then, our lives will never ever be able to return.”
Joel Rich said the conspiracy theories changed the way they live their lives every day.
“It’s changed how you act, who you will listen to, what you do when you’re at home,” Joel Rich told NPR. “Will you go to the store? And that’s part of the damage that these conspiracies can do.”
Joel and Mary Rich reached a settlement with Fox News in 2020. The terms of that settlement are confidential.
Rich’s parents said in a statement at the time they were “pleased with the settlement of this matter and sincerely hope that the media will take genuine caution in the future.”
“The settlement with Fox News closes another chapter in our efforts to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth, whom we miss every single day,” they added. “It allows us to move on from the litigation we initiated in response to Fox News’ May 2017 article and televised statements concerning Seth’s murder.”