Mobile Phone Data Used To Place Murder Suspect Near Crime
from the gotcha dept
For years some people have been wondering about the privacy implications of so many people carrying mobile phones. While the courts have (in the past) mostly banned efforts to track someone's location by their phone, police have now used it to add to the pile of evidence they have against one murder suspect. In this case, they found he had made a phone call very near where the body was found, and then used info about which towers his phone was connected to in order to trace his movements. It's likely that we're going to be hearing a lot more of these "post-crime" tracking reports -- and they're going to be even more accurate due to GPS showing up in so many phones.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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It can be a good thing too
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Re: It can be a good thing too
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Re: It can be a good thing too
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You don't need GPS
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Good thing
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Re: Good thing
Just keep in mind the old ‘slippery slope’ argument. Today it’s tracking people who have committed a felony, tomorrow it could be tracking you because your hanging out with the ‘wrong’ kind of people – maybe the wrong political party – insert whichever name you want.
The powers that be might not like the fact that you’re a .. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or whatever.
1984 anyone?
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Re: Good thing
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Re:
Procecuter: Ma'am can you explain why your cell phone records show phone calls made from your phone proceding down the highway from your home up east to Virginia where your husband was killed?
accussed Killer chick:Sure, my phone was stolen.
Procecuter:Really?!? can you explain how this unknown person who stole your phone accessed your voicemail 7 times during the drive down the highway to Virginia?
accussed Killer chick: Uhhhhhmmmmmmm.......
It seems the old saying that a killer misses many details holds some truth...
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Re:
I won't be dating you, either.
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Perfect Society
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Re: Perfect Society
While it was kind of you to correct the spelling of "irrelevant" in your reply, it is less clear how the original poster is more of "and idiot" than you appear to be. You also appear to be directing the "your" at the original post, but "your" is possessive, and not equivalent to "you are". On an interesting side note, one could also argue that you should be threatening to shoot them in the mouth with a flare, and not the entire flare gun. I am not immediately aware of any devices capable of launching the entire gun in the direction of someone's mouth! But that might be splitting too many semantic hairs.
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Re: Re: Perfect Society
Thank you for reaffirming my lack of faith in human nature.
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Re: Re: Perfect Society
The time may come where our freedoms have eroded to the point that people who decided that safety is far more important than liberty will not be able to buy the flare gun to shoot themselves in the mouth. In either regard the comment was Hilarious.
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Re: Re: Perfect Society
I do believe that would be an improper splitting of hairs. To shoot someone in the mouth, or any other orifice, for that matter, with a flare would infer that you are using a flare to shoot said person. It would be more proper to shoot a flare into their mouth with a flare gun (being a mechanism designed to propel flares). You use the flare gun, not the flare, so I argue that Mike wins that point.
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Re: Re: Perfect Society
Thanks for the smile.
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GPS phones
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Re: GPS phones
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Re: GPS phones
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we might not live in a perfect society ...
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Really.
And - if he didn't do it, then he shouldn't care.
Essentially, all evidence acquired is either going to prove or disprove his innocence.
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As for the whole flare gun issue.. do you say i am going to cap you with my shotgun shell... no you say i am going to shoot you with my shotgun.. I dont think you can even split the hair on that one.. sorry
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Forensics today are more than adequate enough to catch a criminal without using techniques that could possibly impact constitutional rights of our Citizens. I would like to backhand the district attorney that thought it would be a good idea to subpoena Google for a search history.
The government doesn't need cell phones to know where we are. If they care enough, they will know where you are at all times. Besides. What do you think that little chip in your left forearm is for? (queue X-Files Theme...)
And I really hope my grammar and punctuation was good enough for everyone. I proofread even. I don't want to get flamed by all the other children that hate themselves.
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Speeding fines inc!
According to the records supplied by your telephone service provider, it has been determined that you have been going 36 MPH in a zone designated at 35 MPH or less. This letter is to inform you that the fine of $64 has been added to your next phone bill and your insurance company has been notified of the infraction.
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Re: Speeding fines inc!
You just hit the proverbial nail on the head!
While I agree with the premise that a prosecutor should utilize all available resources to convict the 'bad guys', we have begun sliding down the slippery slope toward the 24/7 surveilance society, and that can only mean abuses and overextensions of authority.
I am just waiting for the first use of material gathered from our new 'universal domestic wiretap' (Patriot Act) to convict a marijuana dealer or car thief, or any other non-terrorist activity. Yes, a criminal is a criminal, but by the same token inalienable rights are inalienable rights and mine are getting trampled upon in the pursuit of this mythical idea of a "safe society"!
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Rules for Murders
2. Do not use any electronic communications inc. dial up internet access.
3. Travel all the time under false names and in disguie. This should be changed along the journey, so 'Fred Smith' didn't travel from your apartment to the crime scene and back.
4. Do not use any debit or credit cards.
5. Do not use money off vouchers, discount cards etc. They location they are used at can be tracked.
6. Avoid all CCTV cameras.
7. Do not use a car-even hire cars can often be tracked.
8. Do not travel by public transport due to CCTV cameras.
9. Get in and out quickly to avoid being seen/caught.
10. Destory all evidence at the crime scene, or once you have finished with it for disgues, so that it cannot be traced. (Harder than is often thought).
Anyone who can do all but 1 needs to be locked up as an idiot or a homocidal genius. If you need mobile phone data to help convict a suspect, use it. Like statistics, it should be used like a drunk uses a streetight, for support rather than illumination.
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Freedom Never Was
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Re: Freedom Never Was
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Personaly, I would rather see a few murderers go free rather than give my wife access to that info.
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Next time a guy is throwing a cell phone into another car, I'll be on the phone calling....my broker, EF Hutton.
Later....
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I'm sorry, but if my location is continuously recorded in my cell phone records and not just when I call 911, then it's going to be abused/misused.
For example, look at these companies that will sell you a list of calls made to/from *any* cell phone without the owner's permission for $100? There isn't even a law preventing this! (one is in the works, but I didn't hear anything about also making a new law to prevent companies from selling your cell-phone location data)
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