Digital Forensics Dispatch

Double Murder: Key Text Messages and Web Browser History Evidence

March 10, 2020

Quentin Bird, of Tennessee, has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder based on allegations he killed an ex-girlfriend, Allison Tenbarge and their unborn child. Tenbarge was found dead, having been stabbed over 20 times, in Bird’s apartment the morning after she had planned to pick up belongings left following their breakup. Tenbarge arrived at the apartment with a friend who stayed in the car with Tenbarge’s phone. Bird had accused Tenbarge of cheating and her friend choose to let them discuss that in private.  After some time, Tenbarge’s phone in the car began to receive text messages from Bird’s device that appeared to be from Tenbarge delaying leaving and eventually sending the friend on a shopping errand. When the friend returned, Bird’s car was nowhere to be found.

The Kentucky State Police were able to locate the car, partially torched, and Mr. Bird in a Kentucky campground. His mobile phone was recovered and analyzed by a mobile forensic examiner, Debra Kolofsky. During her review, Kolofsky discovered deleted web browser history interspersed with the text messages, also deleted, exchanged during the meeting. The phone had been used to search Google and even YouTube multiple times for phrases such as “How to hang yourself”.  Further web browser history on how to commit suicide was recovered throughout the day of the murder.

On February 27, 2020 Bird was found guilty on both counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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