Digital Forensics Dispatch

Wyoming Walmarts Receive Terror Threat – Digital Evidence Helps Crack the Case

December 10, 2020

Two Walmart locations in Casper Wyoming reported threats being made against their property and employees in August 2020, according to the Sheridan Media. The threats were being sent to two employees via text message and allegedly claimed there were bombs planted in both stores. The sender of the texts also claimed to have access to guns and stated they were “after everyone”.

Over the course of the Casper Police Department’s investigation into the incidents, both employees who received the messages were questioned and the messages on their phones documented. Detectives reviewing the phones were able to do more than just preserve the threatening messages though. They determined that the texts had not been sent over the traditional cellular protocols and instead were sent using voice over IP or VOIP.

They were able to track down evidence of access to a VOIP service on one of the employee’s phones. When confronted with the evidence from her cellphone as well as records provided by her internet provider and VOIP service, she confessed to sending the messages to herself and the other employee. She was subsequently arrested in connection with the terroristic threats made against both stores.

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