Digital Forensics Dispatch

Updated Digital Forensics Software Helps Close Murder Case

October 15, 2019

Due to new capabilities within forensic software, a case involving a missing woman concluded last month with a conviction of second-degree murder, according to The Maui News.

Moreira “Mo” Monsalve was last seen on January 12, 2014 in Wailuku, Hawaii. After Monsalve didn’t show up to work or respond to phone calls, she was reported missing. On January 16, 2014, some of her personal belongings were located in a nearby trash can. One of the personal belongings was a cell phone that had been destroyed.

Multiple years passed with no available updates. In 2017, a Cyber Crime Unit was established with grants to help purchase hardware and software to examine electronic evidence. The cell phone was restored and data extracted from the device which provided helpful details regarding the timeline of events.

After reviewing the digital evidence, Monsalve’s ex-boyfriend Bernard Brown became a prime suspect. Mr. Brown left Hawaii and moved to Northern California after Monsalve’s disappearance.

Mr. Brown was arrested at his home in Sacramento, CA by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and the Sacramento Police Department. His bail is currently set at $1 million.

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