Tributes are flowing in for US Journalist James Foley, after he was beheaded at the hands of IS militants. US President Barack Obama and British PM David Cameron have condemned the killing.

WHEN the savage execution of US journalist James Foley by Islamic militants hit YouTube it was meant to send a message to the world but its digital clues could end up leading investigators straight to the killers.

A report byFoxNews.com claims technology could prove the key to unlocking the mysterious identity of the masked ISIS member on the footage. Digital forensics such as vocal recognition, location analysis and the potential to pinpoint where the video was uploaded may prove vital in the hunt.

JAMES FOLEY BEHEADED BY BRITISH ISIS MEMBER

“It’s like any other crime; there’s lots of little clues, and if you know where to look for them, they can help you solve the crime,” counterterrorism expert Dr Afzal Ashraf told FoxNews.com. “It’s like looking for fingerprints, it’s the same thing.”

The article claims US intelligence has begun to “drill down” the digital forensics to track down the killer and the biggest clue lies in the killer’s voice. The executioner spoke with a British accent and speech experts are able to help investigators by identifying this being possibly from London or southern England — this is the best place to start.

Thanks to advances in linguistic technology software could “listen” to police interview tapes in that area and possibly find a match through certain vocal characteristics if the killer had been questioned by police in the past.

The shocking footage didn’t give much away to help locate where the it happened but digital investigators will be able to carefully scan the video to find any clues in the background, the landscape and even the shadows to tell when the killing took place.

However the biggest lead would be to uncover where the YouTube video was uploaded from. The original upload location data is highly likely to have been disguised but it could be possible to follow a breadcrumb trail. “If it was uploaded in an internet cafe somewhere, that gives you a pretty good clue,” said Ashraf.

Foley’s killer has a big wanted sign above his head and law enforcement will hope ISIS’ use of social media may be the very thing that helps tag their target.