Parsing the Truth: One Byte at a Time

Last week, we had lots of questions about those printed emails. So we brought on Lauren Hillery, who saw all the emails, to give us the inside scoop.Lauren shares the defense's strategy with regards to the emails, the authentication issues, and tells us more about hiring a digital forensic examiner as a public defender. This is Part 2 only. Go back and listen to Part 1 in S1 E38https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Xpa2gtG0fYI73sQV8Y37V?si=3vk-s0JQS0m3xPU0EW39CgSpecial Guest: Public Defender Lauren HilleryData Sources Mentioned in This Episode:TwitterGmailEmailiPhone

Sixty printed emails. Partial evidence. Incomplete story. Learn how digital forensics can fill the gaps in this real-world case.Episode Summary:This week, Becky and Stacy explore a case where printed emails became the centerpiece of a legal trial. A mother and daughter presented 60 pages of printed emails, which were actually Twitter DM notifications, as evidence of a crime. Discussions include the complexities of email authentication, the potential for email spoofing, and why forensic examination is essential for verifying digital communications. Will the jury take the printed emails into consideration? Tune in, and find out.Key Takeaways:Digital evidence can be easily manipulated, making authentication crucial.Email headers are vital for verifying the origin of messages.Forensic examiners play a key role in legal cases involving digital evidence.Printed emails lack the necessary metadata for authentication.Email spoofing is a common technique used to forge messages.Forensic tools can reveal discrepancies in email timestamps.Legal teams must understand digital evidence to argue effectively in court.The jury's understanding of digital evidence can impact trial outcomes.Forensic examiners must communicate findings clearly to non-experts.Digital evidence issues can determine the outcome of a case.

David Freyman shares how collaboration helps put together the digital pieces of the Lauren Giddings murder. Learn how hashes of IP addresses, a seemingly innocuous USB drive, and a previously ignored digital camera reveal vital clues that bolster the case.Special Guest: Retired FBI SA David FreymanDigital Forensics Techniques Mentioned in this Episode:MD5 Hashing: Used for verifying data integrity and identifying unique digital signatures.Epoch Time Conversion: A method for interpreting timestamps stored as a series of numbers.File Recovery Software: Utilized to recover deleted video files from a camera.The Lauren Giddings case was still making headlines in 2025. Learn more at https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/family-of-murdered-mercer-law-student-lauren-gidding-renew-search-body/93-9fda7367-e568-4c50-924e-8f4d1148631d

Explore the gripping Bobby Jo Stinnett case, where digital forensics helped prove premeditation. Discover how recovering internet history led to an IP Address that led to a killer and kidnapper.Special Guest: Mark JohnsonFind Mark Johnson on the Computer Crime Chronicles at https://open.spotify.com/show/2EEWgr7sY07DzyimzdQnktTrigger Warning: Fetal Abduction by Maternal Evisceration is discussed. In this case, the baby does survive.Episode Summary: In this episode, digital forensics expert Mark Johnson delves into the intricate digital investigation of the Bobby Jo Stinnett case. Mark examined a wide range of digital evidence, including emails, internet history, and cached web pages, to piece together a timeline of events. His analysis uncovered crucial details, such as the suspect's online searches for unassisted home births and emergency C-sections, and the manipulation of ultrasound images. By leveraging tools like EnCase and Internet Evidence Finder, Mark's expert review of digital footprints played a pivotal role in solving this rare and gruesome crime, demonstrating premeditation, and ultimately leading to the recovery of the kidnapped infant and justice for the victim.Software Mentioned in this Episode:EnCaseInternet Evidence FinderWayback MachineNetscape NavigatorInternet Explorer

We explore the need for human expertise in solving cybercrimes. We discuss forensic tool limitations, examiner competence, and evolving technology challenges in digital evidence analysis. We'll also share insights on effective forensic methodologies and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of tools in real cases we've worked. Please join Stacy Eldridge and Becky Passmore for this episode of Parsing the Truth: One Byte at a Time.Digital Forensics Tools and Software Mentioned:AxiomSQLite ViewerExcelCelebrite UFED ReaderAutopsyFex Forensic TakeawaysTools don't solve cases, people do.Digital forensic tools amplify expertise, not replace it.Understanding data structures is crucial for examiners.Networking and communication are key in digital forensics.Forensic tools are effective when data is stable and predictable.Examiner competence is critical for courtroom defensibility.Manual analysis provides precision, tool-assisted analysis offers feasibility.Forensic success depends on methodologies, not expensive tools.Tools assume metadata is intact, which isn't always the case.Expertise lives in the chair, not in the tool.Tools don't speak. People speak.

What makes an expert witness persuasive? Preparation, Presence, Education. Tune in as Laura Heldwein, a nearly 40-year FBI veteran, helps us break down how to testify with credibility and clarity.Special Guest Laura Helwein.

To find Ricky Saxton's murderer, Wayne Mitchell has to manually recover hundreds of tiny digital crumbs in an attempt to find video evidence of Ricky's murder. But here's the thing, Wayne was almost kept out of the loop. Find out how it all went down.Special Guest: Wayne Mitchell

Dive into the illusion of online safety provided by emojis. We explore whether covering a child's face with an emoji truly protects their identity. Learn the hidden risks and digital breadcrumbs left behind.

We're sharing 12 must-know artifacts to get you through the holiday season AND any digital forensics case that might come your way. Cozy up with your favorite beverage and sing along.

Get the inside scoop from the digital forensics expert who testified about all the cell phone location records and the SIM Card swapping in the Mushroom Murders case.Special Guest: Dr. Matthew Sorrell from AustraliaThis is Part 4 Only.Go back and listen to parts 1 - 3 in Season 1, Episodes 27 - 29, if you haven't yet.

What do the prosecution and defense say about all this digital evidence during their closing arguments in the mushroom murders? We're breaking it down along with some discussion on suppressed evidence from this case.This is Part 3 Only.Make sure to go back and listen to Parts 1 and 2 if you haven't done that yet.

In Part 2 of the mushroom murder, we discuss SIM card swapping and factory resetting mobile devices. Will there be any digital evidence left? AKA the Erin Patterson Murders.This is Part 2 of 4 Only.

In this episode, we travel to Australia to learn about the digital evidence in the Erin Patterson Case, AKA the Mushroom Murders. We discuss cell phone location records and browser history to see if they can reveal any clues about where those deadly mushrooms originated.

Can you believe we're already 25 episodes into this podcast?! Join us as we look back at why we started, what we've learned, and what we're looking forward to.Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, and joined us as a guest!Of course, we look back at BTK and Casey Anthony. But we also talk about some new things like Karen Read and X's and O's on hard drives...

Stacy Eldridge & Becky Passmore spoke live at the Oxygen Forensics Conference, reflecting back on how 25 years of technology and humanity colliding have shaped everything from hex-level disk editors to six-figure software suites, and even the American Justice System.Tune in for the nostalgia and stay for the stories with a few laughs along the way.Special Thanks to:-Oxygen Forensics for hosting us-Keither Lockhart for inviting us-Briggs for recording us and providing our own personal laugh track.-All of you for listening!

Stacy Eldridge & Becky Passmore spoke live at the Oxygen Forensics Conference, reflecting back on how 25 years of technology and humanity colliding have shaped everything from hex-level disk editors to six-figure software suites, and even the American Justice System.Tune in for the nostalgia and stay for the stories with a few laughs along the way.Special Thanks to:-Oxygen Forensics for hosting us-Keither Lockhart for inviting us-Briggs for recording us and provide our own personal laugh track.-All of you for listening!

Larry McClain gave us so much great knowledge on the Thing About Pam case and the murder of Louis Gumpenberger; we had to split it into two episodes. Join us for the conclusion.This is part 4 only in our 'The Thing About Pam' series.Make sure to go back and listen to Episodes 21, 22, and 23 if you haven't yet.

This week Special Guest Larry McClain joins us as we discuss his work on the The Thing About Pam case and the murder of Louis Gumpenberger. Learn about the evidence he discovers that demonstrates premeditation. We also get some insider knowledge on the Betsy Faria murder.This is Part 3 only in our The Thing About Pam Series.Make sure to check out S1 E21 and S1 E22 if you haven't yet.

Dive into Russ Faria's retrial by exploring the digital evidence that was finally admitted and subsequently led to his acquittal. How did Pam Hupp's digital trail shift the trial's outcome? Tune in to find out.This is Episode 2 in our 'The Thing About Pam Series'

The Thing About Pam Hupp — she’s tied to the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful guilty verdict in Russ Faria’s first trial. In this episode, we break down the digital evidence, including key cell phone data that was thrown out.This is Part 1 Only.