15 March 2007

Search engine results used as evidence in US murder trial

The DailyRecord, a leading Scottish newspaper, recently reported on an American murder court case in which search engine results and technology are being used as evidence.

The state of New Jersey has accused 34 year-old Melanie McGuire of murdering her husband, William T McGuire. The jury has yet to see fingerprints, blood or DNA evidence in the case. In fact, only a digital fingerprint in the form of McGuire's search history and computer usage links important elements of the case together.

Jennifer Seymour of the state police's digital technology unit testimony revealed the digital contents of computers and hand held devices obtained as part of the investigation. Digital investigators can trace activity on a computer, including information the user has deleted previously.

Seymour testified that she isolated data accessed in the weeks prior to Mr McGuire's murder by inserting the keyword "search", which showed activity by Google and MSN; the searches focused around poisons and gun laws.

On April 18, 2004, a computer taken from the office of Melanie McGuire showed that the defendant searched for 'how to commit murder'. On the same day searches on Google and MSN for the following topics were conducted: 'instant poisons', 'undetectable poisons', 'fatal digoxin doses' and 'gun laws in New Jersey and Pennsylvania'.

McGuire is accused of murdering her husband using a gun obtained in Pennsylvania, and Jennifer Seymour's testimony on the accused's search queries has been the strongest piece of evidence so far in the circumstantial evidence case against McGuire.

In total, the State Police obtained eight computers, three laptops and eight hand-held devices as part of the murder investigation.

It seems technology is helping to build the case; in fact, it has been the strongest piece of evidence in the trial so far.

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