In the weeks since the Louvre jewel heist, the internet has been obsessing over 2025’s biggest mystery. From the Arthur Conan Doyle-esque “detective” spotted at the scene to the countless viral mugshots in circulation, misinformation has been spreading faster than the famed getaway scooters.
In case you’ve somehow missed it, a group of thieves broke into the famous Parisian gallery on October 19th, managing to steal an estimated £76 million worth of historical jewels in roughly 7 minutes. News of the heist spread like wildfire across the internet, causing a massive spark of speculation and memes, the latter of which were largely targeted at the Louvre’s security system – or lack thereof.
Since then, the internet has eagerly awaited any news on the culprits, with only limited information being released. In the meantime, however, social media investigators have done their best to fill in the gaps. The thieves’ “mugshots” began turning up left and right, each suspiciously more attractive than the last.
Social Media Sleuths and Speculation
Among the falsely accused are Gossip Girl star Chase Crawford, whose mugshot is actually from a misdemeanor drug charge back in 2010, and dancer Stefan Dolbashian, seemingly just as surprised as the rest of us to see himself being “brought to justice.” In response to a widely circulated Instagram post, plastering Dolbashian’s face alongside yet another man being falsely accused, the comments were quickly flooded with users asking questions like, “Are they single?”
Actor and activist Jameela Jamil even left a comment saying, “It is so French of them to both be this hot.”
Romanticising the Accused
Though the widespread fanfare over the heist and its most attractive “suspects” may be gaining rapid popularity right now, it is important to remember that this is not an isolated incident.
In 2024, Luigi Mangione was accused of shooting and killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, subsequently becoming the internet’s favorite “hot criminal.” Unlike the men featured in the viral Louvre mugshots, however, Luigi Mangione faces a mountain of evidence against him, as well as a charge of second-degree murder.
So, why has the 27-year-old been embraced as one of the most eligible bachelors of the decade rather than a man charged with murder?
Well, the New York Times suggests that Mangione is simply a more recent fixture in the long history of “the romanticisation of the beautiful and the incarcerated.” Simply put, the internet’s obsession with hot criminals is not a new phenomenon. However, social media has certainly magnified the issue, allowing users to inevitably pass judgment upon a photograph before ever learning the story—or the crime—behind the face.
Before Mangione, there was Jeremy Meeks, widely known as the “hot felon.” After his mugshot went viral in 2014, the internet disregarded his five firearm charges, focusing instead on his arresting (no pun intended) good looks. Once released, Meeks turned his viral fame into a career, signing a modeling contract and booking film roles.
In fact, the romanticisation of criminals runs deeper than you might think. According to a 2010 study from Cornell University, unattractive defendants are more likely to get longer and harsher sentences when compared to their more attractive counterparts, receiving, on average, 22 months longer in prison. Not only do good looks have the ability to sway the court of public opinion in one’s favor, but the legal system as well.
While the Louvre heist’s falsely accused suspects may not be the first incident of the internet romanticising a mugshot, they are certainly the most recent reminder that when given the choice, the internet will inevitably choose beauty over consequence. Clearly, old habits die hard, and, for better or worse, the power of a good-looking mugshot continues to be stronger than any evidence in the court of social media.