Digital Forensics Dispatch

Cell Phone Forensics Assist in Locating Missing Hiker

May 27, 2021

According to a recent report made by New Hampshire Fish and Game, mobile forensics recently played a key role in locating one lost hiker this month.

The 24 year-old hiker had ventured into the Mount Shannon trail system mid-day on May 21^st but had not returned home or contacted any friends or family members by 6PM that evening when her husband reported her missing. Two local fire and rescue teams as well on the local police department were drafted for the initial search attempt with the Fish and Game authority being called in after several hours with no success.

Eventually, cell tower records were forensically reviewed to determine where the hiker’s phone had been throughout the day. Not only were the examiners able to determine the hiker’s movement during the day, they were able to determine that the phone had most recently been on a specific trail around the same time the missing person’s report was made. By focusing their efforts on that location rescuers were able to locate the hiker about 50 yards off that trail at about 1AM on May 22^nd.

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