FBI has Devin Kelley’s iPhone. But it can’t unlock it, obscuring clues to Texas shooter

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The FBI has Kelley’s iPhone, retrieved after he shot a congregation in Sutherland Springs, Tex., killing 25 people before he was killed. A search warrant allowing investigators access has been executed. The phone was flown to FBI headquarters in Quantico, Va., for analysis but so far a forensics team has been unable to unlock the phone.

Their efforts — if prolonged — could resurface a fight between law enforcement, tech companies and privacy advocates over whether the government should get a back-door key to unlocking widely used consumer devices. The FBI has argued it needs to be able to override the phones’ encryption to uncover criminals’ tracks. Tech companies, including iPhone-maker Apple, have countered doing so would make all individuals more vulnerable to hackers.

Read More from USA Today Here

An AT&T drone is now providing cellular service to people in Puerto Rico

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T&T is using an LTE-equipped drone to reconnect some Puerto Ricans who lost wireless service after Hurricane Maria. This obviously isn’t a permanent fix for Puerto Rico, where 48 percent of cell sites are still out of service more than a month after the hurricane wrecked telecom infrastructure on the island. But the drone—AT&T calls it a Flying COW (Cell on Wings)—is providing wireless connectivity in an area of up to 40 square miles.

Read More from ARSTechnica Here

Court hearing for the man accused of killing his stepdaughter in Troy – Google Locations Challenged

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DNA, cell phone data and surveillance video are often part of a criminal case. It’s no different with this one involving Johnny Oquendo, 39. Except this time, there’s one more piece of technology, Google Location Services, and the defense doesn’t want it used. “We’re just asking for the courtroom to determine if this is good science,” said Oquendo’s attorney, William Roberts. Roberts filed a motion, challenging the use of Google Location Services, whether it’s generally accepted as reliable science. “The motion was filed basically to ensure that any and all evidence that comes into trial is within the proper perimeters,” he said. During the hearing on Wednesday, the judge heard from a Google employee who testified about how the tech giant triangulates the location of your cell phone. An FBI agent who works with Google also testified about how law enforcement uses the technology for their investigations.

Read More from WYNT Here

State rests in Quinnizel Clark murder trial after FBI testimony

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The state completed its case in the murder trial of Quinnizel Clark on Wednesday, with testimony from an FBI agent regarding cellphones records during a time frame in which the defendant allegedly shot James Dewyer. Clark, 35, of Belleville, Essex County, was charged with murder and weapons offenses in the fatal shooting on Jan. 3, 2016. Dewyer, 68, of Mansfield, was found slumped in the passenger seat of his car, with his seat belt on, about 4 p.m. by a passerby, who noticed the vehicle parked in a wooded area off Kinkora Road in Mansfield. He had been shot five times in his left side. Clark’s trial continued before Superior Court Judge Charles Delehey at the Burlington County Courthouse in Mount Holly, and the state called as its last witness John Hauger, with the FBI’s cellular analysis team.

Read More frm the Burlington County Times Here

Wiped phone led to charge in missing mom murder case

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A woman charged in connection to the murder case of a missing Wyoming mother had her cellphone wiped before handing it over to police, according to court records obtained by 24 Hour News 8 Tuesday. Angela Ruth Wilson is charged with perjury and tampering with evidence in the Ana Marie Carrillo investigation. She was arraigned Monday. The prosecutor’s investigative subpoena states Wilson made a false statement under oath while being questioned by the prosecutor. However, the court filing does not elaborate on what Wilson said. The subpoena does say during that testimony, Wilson was told that investigators would need to examine her cellphone for evidence. However, when she later turned over her phone, police computer forensic experts reported the phone had been wiped or reset to its factory settings, “destroying all evidentiary communication records.”

Read More from Woodtv.com Here