General Discussion Thread #4

[Estelle]

Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘Pistorius is saying he can’t remember the code and we have been unable to access messages sent or received that night.

‘These could be crucial and Apple executives in America have made their technicians available to help us.

‘I cannot say Pistorius’s memory failure is suspicious but the mobile phones were clearly in use up to the time of the killing.’ During the court hearing at which Pistorius was released on bail in March, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said examination of the mobile phones was vital.

Mr Nel said detectives had found four mobile phones on the bathroom floor: two BlackBerries and two iPhones.

Their position in the bathroom, close to the shower cubicle, could be evidence that the couple had a furious row during which Reeva had locked herself in.

Text messages, together with a ballistics examination of the toilet cubicle and door, are believed to be the two pivotal elements of the prosecution’s case.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...evidence-Reeva-murder-case.html#ixzz2X30erP4m

Of course, Pistorius would say he cannot remember the four-digit code! He is making himself appear even more guilty and dodgy. There must be something very incriminating on that phone!

But surely Apple must have equipment to try every combination of just 4 digits.

 

[Estelle]

Forget Pistorius... our sport is bigger than him, says Paralympic champion Peacock

Paralympic sprint champion Jonnie Peacock is confident his burgeoning sport will thrive despite the controversy surrounding poster boy Oscar Pistorius as he looks to build on his own London 2012 success this summer.

Britain's Peacock, who beat Pistorius in the 100 metres final in London to win Paralympic gold, believes the unprecedented success of last summer's Games shows the sport goes far beyond just one man.

He told Press Association: 'I think what London 2012 did for the Paralympics more than anything else was give us so many more faces.
'We've got so many more faces to come into it now and hopefully it's going to be a great chance to race the Brazilian, Alan Oliveira, and the American Richard Browne.

'So I think what we've lost in one (Pistorius), we've gained in five or six others. London 2012 did so much for Paralympic sport and it's progressed in a way I would never have thought.'

'It's given me a lot more motivation and fire in my belly. I turned up to training the next day and trained with about 10 times more commitment. Not that I don't train with commitment anyway, it just gives you that bit more of an edge and it's made me more hungry.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ot...ort-bigger-Oscar-Pistorius.html#ixzz2X364lf8m

 

[Estelle]

Cops probe Reeva's 'encrypted' iPhone

Johannesburg - Questions have emerged around a cellphone apparently belonging to murdered model Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot by boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day.

It has emerged that the iPhone that was recovered from the bloody bathroom of Pistorius’s luxury home in Pretoria was encrypted and is believed to be crucial to the police investigation, reported Times Live.

It apparently contains volumes of encrypted data.

A source revealed that most of the data from the other phones had been downloaded except for this particular phone belonging to Reeva, which is “either completely or at least partially encrypted”.

It was this phone that Steenkamp had taken with her when she locked herself in the toilet.

"There are serious concerns around when the phone and its data [were] encrypted and why," said the source. Data on the phone might reveal Reeva's final calls or SMSes.

An IT specialist said police could ask for Apple’s assistance in decrypting the data.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cops-probe-Reevas-encrypted-iPhone-20130605

So now I realise that at least two of those phones found were encrypted and there are serious concerns about when and why they were encrypted.

My theory which is obvious is that Pistorius either encrypted them himself in those 17 minutes before those final shots or he had help to do so from his team who arrived early at the crime scene before the police did - further evidence IMO of tampering with the evidence.

 

[whiterum]

Wasn't there only two iphones found on the bathroom floor the mail report says four phones found on the bathroom floor.
If this report is true and one of these two is the one being referred to, then the other phone withheld by OP and the defence could be a ploy, a distraction to take attention away from the one with all the real information.

The withheld phone may show calls to Stander and Netcare but his iPhone found on the bathroom floor may reveal who he phoned before those calls and all text/ calls he may have made/ received that night.

 

[shane13]

Talking about any of the 4 phones recovered at the CS may be part of the ploy to hide the 5th phone that Roux himself admitted at BH was the one used to call people after/during the shooting, and that DT still possessed a week later.

 

[whiterum]

Talking about any of the 4 phones recovered at the CS may be part of the ploy to hide the 5th phone that Roux himself admitted at BH was the one used to call people after/during the shooting, and that DT still possessed a week later.

I did not mean a ploy to hide the fifth phone, it was only disclosed that fifth phone was used to phone Stander and Netcare after the shooting as far as I'm aware. The 5th phone Roux admitted taking could obviously be accessed as he revealed a few of OP's calls and the timing of those calls.

Botha said none of the other four phones taken from the scene appeared not to have been used that night. It might have seemed that way to Botha before forensic testing but now we hear, if the reports are true , that his iPhone found on the bathroom floor may have important calls on it leading up to the shooting but they cannot be accessed. We hear that OP can't remember his pin and Reevas iPhone was encrypted. So two of the five phones cannot be accessed as yet. It all seems very suspect to me you would think all that would be sorted by now.

 

[shane13]

I did not mean a ploy to hide the fifth phone, it was only disclosed that fifth phone was used to phone Stander and Netcare after the shooting as far as I'm aware. The 5th phone Roux admitted taking could obviously be accessed as he revealed a few of OP's calls and the timing of those calls.

Botha said none of the other four phones taken from the scene appeared not to have been used that night. It might have seemed that way to Botha before forensic testing but now we hear, if the reports are true , that his iPhone found on the bathroom floor may have important calls on it leading up to the shooting but they cannot be accessed. We hear that OP can't remember his pin and Reevas iPhone was encrypted. So two of the five phones cannot be accessed as yet. It all seems very suspect to me you would think all that would be sorted by now.

I was not referring to you, my friend, in talking about one of the 4 phones being a diversion. I was talking about the MSM playing that game.

Roux admitted that the DT had the 5th phone for about a week before even disclosing its existence to anyone! That’s plenty of time to…

Taking it from the crime scene is probably a crime, and if an atty did it, it’s probably a “disbarrable” crime. But Pros. and judge ignored this crime.

Now, I have deduced the impeccable logic involved in removing the 5th phone from the crime scene. I await first to see if anyone will sleuth as requested above in how to prove what I asked in post # 1136 (7:27 AM).

 

[kittychi]

That code is something he had to enter EVERY time he used his phone. C'mon, Oscar, take a couple of stabs at it.

Has he NO shame???

BTW, they are JUST getting to the phones in their investigation process???

Blimey!

 

[seattlechiquita]

Not worried about the phones. Apple technicians are more than capable of cracking their own security I would expect. But yeah, who forgets their cellphone code? FFS. As if. It's possibly one of the codes you key in most times during the day. OP really thinks people are stupid and that we will walk away white as snow. I don't think so!

 

[shane13]

Lest we forget:

“Police also found two iPhones in the bathroom and two BlackBerrys in the bedroom, Botha said, adding that none had been used to phone for help. Roux later suggested that a fifth phone, not collected by the police, was used by Pistorius to make calls for a hospital and help. After the hearing, Roux told journalists that Pistorius' defense team had the phone, but did not elaborate.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...hearing-hilton-botha-testimony_n_2725410.html

 

[whiterum]

http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipad-iphone/news/?newsid=3454340&pagtype=allchandate

Some more information regarding OP's iPhone 5 and his memory lapse.
Think maybe it's much the same news as the earlier Daily Mail report, nothing new lol.

 

[Interested Bystander]

Though the link below is for an article more than a year old, it will be of interest with respect to the current situation with Pistorius's I-phone. It seems it took as little as two minutes to crack the code. There was even a video on You Tube showing how to do it but that was taken down very quickly. It is possible, of course, that Apple have now prevented this with an update but there are very clever people around who manage to break almost any code and I am sure it will be possible to access both his and her phones.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygre...ment-cracks-your-iphones-security-code-video/

 

[Interested Bystander]

Here is a further article dated May 2013 saying much the same thing so why haven't SA police been able to get this done before now?

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/22/technology/mobile/smartphone-forensics/index.html

 

[whiterum]

You probably know this but in case you don't, an iPhone etc: can be be wiped clean remotely using Remote Wipe. Your phone will go back to default , all your data will be gone and you will not be able to retrieve it.

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod, you can remotely wipe the device with the help of an excellent free service offered through iCloud called “Find My iPhone” (or Find My iPad, etc). This is perfect for situations where a lost device is long gone with no chance of recovery, because it erases anything that is personally identifying, be it emails, texts, contacts, apps, quite literally everything.

Im not sure if Apple or Law enforcement would be able to retrieve the information.

 

[Estelle]

It appears to me as if evidence of premeditation could be found on the two IPhones found on the bathroom floor. My hunch is that they had not been encrypted before the murder but OP did it himself or got one of his team to do it to hide evidence.

The Prosecution have certainly been very slow attending to this very important evidence. But who leaked this information to the media recently? Has it already been done and MSM do not know this?

Do they only have until August 19 to produce this evidence? If so, will they pretend delays to get OP off the hook? Or if it takes longer (plus any follow up interviews of people phoned), will they be allowed extra time? This is what is worrying me as the SA system seems so corrupt and inefficient.

 

[Estelle]

You probably know this but in case you don't, an iPhone etc: can be be wiped clean remotely using Remote Wipe. Your phone will go back to default , all your data will be gone and you will not be able to retrieve it.

I'm not sure if Apple or Law enforcement would be able to retrieve the information.

This is possibly what has happened plus the people phoned/sent or received SMS calls that night may not have come forward to tell the truth in order to protect OP.

 

[Estelle]

Yes.
Now maybe it all happened as OP says. It's still possible, "but highly unlikely."

And I am possibly the only one in the world (originally) discussing this.

So imagine 2 scenarios:

OP fires 2nd volley. Reeva shot in head--basically dead at that point. OP calls whoever-- Stander, ambulance, Carl P, Atty Oldwage, others. Not too bad for OP and his "team."

Different hypothetical scenario: Oscar shoots Reeva in a rage. She is in physical and mental shock cowering in the toilet and wisely does not open the door.
Oscar comes out of his rage and says to himself "what the hell did I do?" and "what the hell do I do now?" Calls for advice. You can speculate to whom.

Maybe he's told he will go to jail for a long time if there is a living witness. Maybe he does not want to do what he is advised to do, and it takes some coaxing as he is not in a rage. Maybe later he even feels guilt for following this advice. These calls made after the first shot, NOT 17 minutes later.

Certain people arrive very early to scene because of when they were actually called. Phone must not be allowed to be in cops hands. Cops on scene allow someone to take the 5th phone from the scene. Maybe even gave them the phone to take. (Some cop will be promoted rapidly, or maybe the opposite...) And this occurs long before the scapegoat Botha got there.

At Bail hearing, Magistrate Nair gives Botha hell during his ruling. And on Roux and DT having this 5th phone still over a week later--not a peep.

Likewise corrupt media--not a peep on this either.

There are ways to check some of this out. Can you good folks reply with an answer to my query on this?

Here endeth the lesson.

Shane, you seem keen for us to say how this can be checked out and none of us have answered you yet. I think you must know the answer yourself so do not keep us in suspense and tell us.

This is my take on the matter:

I have always believed in your second scenario that OP was told that if there is a living witness to his first shooting, then he could face a longer jail sentence than if the victim is dead and he claims he thought she was an intruder.

But how can one check this out? Please tell us.

 

[Interested Bystander]

You probably know this but in case you don't, an iPhone etc: can be be wiped clean remotely using Remote Wipe. Your phone will go back to default , all your data will be gone and you will not be able to retrieve it.




Im not sure if Apple or Law enforcement would be able to retrieve the information.

After a little research it does seem that even if a remote wipe has been used some data will be available with the right equipment, particularly sms. Also to get the best results the computer that the phone was synched to is needed. Cellebrite have specific forensic programs that are used by Law Enforcement.

The following was interesting and was copied from the EMF Organisation forum:-

"The fact that I can take a ‘wiped-through-ActiveSync’ iphone3 and recover all of the message store is just the beginning of the unraveling of remote wipe. With the new BlackBerry content encryption de-coders that are out, even the ‘best’ of the mobile security architectures are vulnerable now."

Here is the link if anyone would like to read more.

http://theemf.org/groups/mobile-sec...te-wipe-security-control-or-security-fantasy/

 

[Interested Bystander]

Obtained from News 24. Not sure whether we have posted this before but it seems as though the "other" phones have already been accessed. It is Reeva's phone that was encrypted. Whether "other" includes the 5th phone it doesn't say.

The iPhone in question was one of four phones seized from Pistorius’s house.

It apparently contains volumes of encrypted data.

A source revealed that most of the data from the other phones had been downloaded except for this particular phone belonging to Reeva, which is “either completely or at least partially encrypted”.

It was this phone that Steenkamp had taken with her when she locked herself in the toilet.

"There are serious concerns around when the phone and its data [were] encrypted and why," said the source. Data on the phone might reveal Reeva's final calls or SMSes.

An IT specialist said police could ask for Apple’s assistance in decrypting the data.

I found the comment about serious concerns around when the phone was encrypted of particular interest. Maybe a suggestion that the encryption took place after the shooting? Is this why Pistorius had washed his hands so as not to leave his bloodied fingerprints? Perhaps I am in overdrive at the moment - LOL.

 

[Estelle]

Obtained from News 2. Not sure whether we have posted this before but it seems as though the "other" phones have already been accessed. It is Reeva's phone that was encrypted. Whether "other" includes the 5th phone it doesn't say.

The iPhone in question was one of four phones seized from Pistorius’s house.

It apparently contains volumes of encrypted data.

A source revealed that most of the data from the other phones had been downloaded except for this particular phone belonging to Reeva, which is “either completely or at least partially encrypted”.

It was this phone that Steenkamp had taken with her when she locked herself in the toilet.

"There are serious concerns around when the phone and its data [were] encrypted and why," said the source. Data on the phone might reveal Reeva's final calls or SMSes.

An IT specialist said police could ask for Apple’s assistance in decrypting the data.

I found the comment about serious concerns around when the phone was encrypted of particular interest. Maybe a suggestion that the encryption took place after the shooting? Is this why Pistorius had washed his hands so as to leave his bloodied fingerprints? Perhaps I am in overdrive at the moment - LOL.

IMO OP encrypted after the murder.