FBI Agrees to Help Arkansas Prosecutor Unlock iPhone, iPod Belonging to Accused Killers

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Posted March 31, 2016 at 3:28pm by iClarified

The FBI has agreed to help an Arkansas prosecutor unlock an iPhone and iPod belonging to two teenagers accused of killing an elderly couple, reports the New York Times.

Faulkner County Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland said the FBI agreed to the request from his office and the Conway Police Department Wednesday afternoon. A judge on Tuesday agreed to postpone the trial of 18-year-old Hunter Drexler so prosecutors could ask the FBI for help. Drexler's trial was moved from next week to June 27.

Hunter Drexler (18) and Justin Staton (15) are accused of killing Rober and Patricia Cogdell at their home in Conway. The Cogdells had raised Staton as a grandson.Drexler and Staton have both pleaded not guilty to capital murder, aggravated robbery and other charges in the deaths of the couple, who were both 66. Both Drexler and Staton have pleaded not guilty.

Drexler's attorney Patrick Benca confirmed that the FBI had agreed to help unlock his client's iPhone but said, "We're not concerned about anything on that phone."

Staton's defense attorney was order to hand over the teen's iPod last week after prosecutors said recorded phone conversations between Staton and others indicated that the device was used to communicate about homicide plans.

The FBI recently withdrew its case against Apple over unlocking the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. It's believed that Israeli firm Cellebrite assisted the FBI in unlocking the device. It appears that the FBI doesn't plan on sharing the unlocking method with Apple and instead will use it to help prosecutors unlock iPhones.

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FBI Agrees to Help Arkansas Prosecutor Unlock iPhone, iPod Belonging to Accused Killers

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Frank - April 1, 2016 at 3:28pm

That's why you set up find my phone and erase the damn thing before any unauthorized people gets a chance to look at the contents.

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Jun - April 1, 2016 at 9:56am

All this is Apples fault. FBI secretly asks for your help unlocking a phone and Apple denies them and goes to court and media to stop the FBI. Why? Because its largest market is China. Now cellebrite has given them a backdoor that will be here for some time. Way to go Apple. The nerve to ask the gov't for the exploit. Now the FBI is flaunting the exploit. Maybe Apple should hire the pangu team. Crypto wars just went to another level.

Pr0toc0L - March 31, 2016 at 7:59pm

Honestly dont see how this is an issue. Are we seriously suppose to believe that the greatest agencies with the greatest amount of hackers and tools at their disposal "cant" unlock or hack into an iphone, but somehow a team of a handful of hackers with a simple macbook or linux pc can develop a jailbreak (thus hack) into an iPhone.

Redsn0w1 - March 31, 2016 at 5:23pm

Apple will NO DOUBT concentrate massive amounts to find this exploited loophole and get it forever closed. Then what will FBI do? I have a feeling that Cellebrite will forever regret getting involved.

Anonymous - March 31, 2016 at 5:01pm

Yes

John - March 31, 2016 at 3:38pm

One iPhone was bearable. But this was always going to happen. They can't just go around doing this to every single iPhone ever thats existed to anyone ever. Seriously wrong and its going to get out of hand soon. Someone will end up having their iPhone searched by the FBI one day bcos they stole a f***ing ice cream lol...