Cell phone pings & drive times

[captdj]

This map didn't come up for me (within the post). :waitasec:

thanks for helping ... try this link.. It should show a picture of Tower 724 on the I-20 service road in Colorado City.


<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Colorado+City,+TX&amp;aq=0&amp;sll=32.41276,-100.868466&amp;sspn=0.000915,0.002401&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Colorado+City,+Mitchell,+Texas&amp;ll=32.388174,-100.864558&amp;spn=0.058552,0.153637&amp;t=h&amp;z=13&amp;output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Colorado+City,+TX&amp;aq=0&amp;sll=32.41276,-100.868466&amp;sspn=0.000915,0.002401&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Colorado+City,+Mitchell,+Texas&amp;ll=32.388174,-100.864558&amp;spn=0.058552,0.153637&amp;t=h&amp;z=13" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

 

[Peliman]

*{am just bringing this over and putting this in our new Thread designated to: Timeline and detailed map of Shawn Adkins travels on 12/27/2010}*

I'll attach the google map for reference..with each corresponding with A..B..C..D on google maps..

Hey Smooth, opinion here besides the ever changing story by BD as told by SA.

One thing to keep in mind on this route that hasn't been discussed (I don't think) There's also a verizon tower between CC and Big Springs on I-20. It's located in Westbrook, next to I-20. The ping switch if this route was traveled should be from CC to Westbrook then Big Springs. But we have no indication of pings off the Westbrook tower. :waitasec: Just sayin

 

[mojave_red]

The affidavit for the cell phone lists two towers.

One of them (coordinates are 32.412620, -100.86900) has Buford on the north, County Road 107 on the south, the intersection of I-20 and FM 1229 on the west, and it doesn't matter on the east.

The other one (coordinates are 32.22156N, -101.45867W) is on south side of Big Spring.

Agreed, there's nothing in the affidavits that list anything close to Westbrook.

It's a puzzle.

 

[captdj]

The affidavit for the cell phone lists two towers.

One of them (coordinates are 32.412620, -100.86900) has Buford on the north, County Road 107 on the south, the intersection of I-20 and FM 1229 on the west, and it doesn't matter on the east.

The other one (coordinates are 32.22156N, -101.45867W) is on south side of Big Spring.

Agreed, there's nothing in the affidavits that list anything close to Westbrook.

It's a puzzle.

I was hoping LE was using the pinging reports as SA moved from tower to tower but I guess not.

Guessing they only have CDR - call data records...:sick:

 

[mojave_red]

Yeah, the affidavit says "which captured all phone calls...".

The 27 Dec 2010 ping data would have been long gone by 06 Jan 2011 when the affidavits/warrants were written....


(\begin snark)
I hope the cell phone wasn't being used while driving! The State of California has declared that an unsafe practice!
(\end snark)

 

[Cherry Baker]

Hello all,

I have a question (sorry if its been brought up before, if it has, I missed it). Do text messages get "pinged" like actual calls? I'm wondering if there is a way to determine where BD's cell phone was when the text was sent to HD's friend that she was supposedly staying with. TIA.

 

[Beyond Belief]

Thank you for looking around Westbrook. The main road there runs north up to the ghost town of Cuthbert. I have thought about that area for a long time.
You's are doing a great job! Outstanding actually.

 

[mojave_red]

So, in the end, all we really know about the cell phone is
1. it was in use, presumably for at least one call, right around 0656 and right around Buford; and
2. it was again in use, again presumably for at least one (and maybe eleven or so) call(s) at or after 0938 right around Big Spring.

Oh, not much to go on there...


lynn

 

[captdj]

So, in the end, all we really know about the cell phone is
1. it was in use, presumably for at least one call, right around 0656 and right around Buford; and
2. it was again in use, again presumably for at least one (and maybe eleven or so) call(s) at or after 0938 right around Big Spring.

Oh, not much to go on there...


lynn

The affidavits show that two records were made and recorded by verizon one at 6:35 and another one at 6:56...

We know Cell carrier record RDC- the call log....we also know that if the phone is disabled, battery out, etc, the last cell tower will be saved but honestly I do NOT have a clue as why the term was used a "Break in Usage".... could be the 6:56 record is just a call or maybe its saying this was the last tower after powering down or going into a dead zone etc...

The simpliest explantation is that 6:56 AM record is a RDC call log record and "break in Usage" is just that the phone was not used again until 9:38.

The wording in the affidavit has me thinking of more complicated series of events that might show intent and a coverup of his timeline... The focus of this affidavit was to show the possibility that SA was alone with Hailey and their interest in seizing the car for analysis.

Using the 6:10 time line as the time he left WSI then giving a couple of minutes getting into his car and leaving ...... the 6:36 call put him around Buford (per SA using cr208)

The call at 6:56 -20 minutes later would give SA enough time to arrive at Hailey home..but whats confusing is that the affidavit again has he in the northern coverage area of tower 724.

Tower 724 is the tower used for Hailey home...but usually there are 6 panels/transmitters that show a general direction from which the call is made(remember the codes in KC's log that represented direction)....

But Hailey's home is south of tower 724..but the affidavit says Hailey home is in the northern coverage area of tower 724....:waitasec:

So now Im not sure in the affidavits they are talking about the actual directions from the transmitters on tower 724 or something totally different.
If SA is north of Tower 724 at 6:36 and then 20 minutes later he is South of tower 724 ....how can he be pinging the same northern transmitter of Tower 724.

Unless this is a one panel town:floorlaugh:

The one other tower LE discussed in the affidavit was the tower at big spring and it was the northwest transmitter of tower 730 and that is the correct direction transmitter for Apache dr. so this one makes sense...and had 11 CDR's from 9:38 to 2:40.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Hello all,

I have a question (sorry if its been brought up before, if it has, I missed it). Do text messages get "pinged" like actual calls? I'm wondering if there is a way to determine where BD's cell phone was when the text was sent to HD's friend that she was supposedly staying with. TIA.

I believe a text message should ping just like a call because basically, it is the same thing as a call. Whenever a phone comes to life and responds, then it is receiving a signal from a tower. Text messages come from the towers as well.

 

[captdj]

If the call at 2:40PM was on his way back to 1804 Chestnut leaving from apache and still pinging tower 730 on the north east corner....would still take him 45 minutes to get home...which place him there about 3:25PM.

I dont see a way he could take the call at 2:40 even if he was already heading back but still hitting tower 730 and be back at chestnut at 3PM

 

[SoSueMe]

The affidavits show that two records were made and recorded by verizon one at 6:35 and another one at 6:56...

We know Cell carrier record RDC- the call log....we also know that if the phone is disabled, battery out, etc, the last cell tower will be saved but honestly I do NOT have a clue as why the term was used a "Break in Usage".... could be the 6:56 record is just a call or maybe its saying this was the last tower after powering down or going into a dead zone etc...

The simpliest explantation is that 6:56 AM record is a RDC call log record and "break in Usage" is just that the phone was not used again until 9:38.

The wording in the affidavit has me thinking of more complicated series of events that might show intent and a coverup of his timeline... The focus of this affidavit was to show the possibility that SA was alone with Hailey and their interest in seizing the car for analysis.

Using the 6:10 time line as the time he left WSI then giving a couple of minutes getting into his car and leaving ...... the 6:36 call put him around Buford (per SA using cr208)

The call at 6:56 -20 minutes later would give SA enough time to arrive at Hailey home..but whats confusing is that the affidavit again has he in the northern coverage area of tower 724.

Tower 724 is the tower used for Hailey home...but usually there are 6 panels/transmitters that show a general direction from which the call is made(remember the codes in KC's log that represented direction)....

But Hailey's home is south of tower 724..but the affidavit says Hailey home is in the northern coverage area of tower 724....:waitasec:

So now Im not sure in the affidavits they are talking about the actual directions from the transmitters on tower 724 or something totally different.
If SA is north of Tower 724 at 6:36 and then 20 minutes later he is South of tower 724 ....how can he be pinging the same northern transmitter of Tower 724.

Unless this is a one panel town:floorlaugh:

The one other tower LE discussed in the affidavit was the tower at big spring and it was the northwest transmitter of tower 730 and that is the correct direction transmitter for Apache dr. so this one makes sense...and had 11 CDR's from 9:38 to 2:40.

Okey dokey Captdj, I think I will come knocking on your door if I have any questions about the cell phone pings.

Could it be a one panel town? The paragraph right above that statement is where you lost me. That part of Texas is vast and there aren't really any big cities around.

I do think SA powered down or went into a dead zone area. I also think the cell phone pings play a critical part in this case.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the "break in usage" is just that he was out of tower range.

I live in the mountains and that happens all the time as you drive along because there's not a tower on every single ridgeline.

In Texas where this happened it's big and flat (hence, the Big Country). I doubt there were be Towers everywhere except near the freeways.

Unless this is a one panel town

I think it's very possible. Why not? This isn't a densely populated area. Here's a picture of the hotel near the freeway that I posted on the Dogs thread - we're talking wide open spaces.

 

[belimom]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the "break in usage" is just that he was out of tower range.

.............

I agree but also think it's possible he just didn't use it for that time period.

 

[captdj]

Okey dokey Captdj, I think I will come knocking on your door if I have any questions about the cell phone pings.

Could it be a one panel town? The paragraph right above that statement is where you lost me. That part of Texas is vast and there aren't really any big cities around.

I do think SA powered down or went into a dead zone area. I also think the cell phone pings play a critical part in this case.

I do want to think the "break in usage" means more to it than SA just wasn't getting any calls for 2 hours ...surely the importance of including that in a affidavit is trying to show more than he didnt want to talk to anyone (If not, I myself have maybe 5 breaks in usage each day)

Just joking about having one panel on tower 724....It does have many from what I could see from google maps...

What interesting to me is the affidavits doesn't just say that SA was pinging tower 724... it says the northern coverage area of this tower...

So I'm thinking OK SA's location was north of this tower location... which makes sense if hes on CR208 which he says (or any road north of this tower..)

Maybe I'm over thinking this but It seems to me if SA was on CR 208 he would have passed Billie going to work about 6:42-6:45AM again south of Buford.

What I'm confused as to how cell calls from 1804 Chestnut st would use same "north" transmitter as someone who is making a call from Buford...

Like if Hailey called 911 from her cell phone how would they know what direction to locate her??? No GPS on this phone... they know the tower she pinging from .... ok what direction from the tower would she be in??

There are apps now for smartphones where you can ping the location of your friends and family and track their position...
For about $10-$15 a month there are programs where you can access your account online and it tracks and stores the movement of your smartphones and even keep a copy of all calls/texts...Great spyware for parents...you can even tell if your children are speeding or somewhere they are not suppose to be....LOL

 

[captdj]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the "break in usage" is just that he was out of tower range.

I live in the mountains and that happens all the time as you drive along because there's not a tower on every single ridgeline.

In Texas where this happened it's big and flat (hence, the Big Country). I doubt there were be Towers everywhere except near the freeways.



I think it's very possible. Why not? This isn't a densely populated area. Here's a picture of the hotel near the freeway that I posted on the Dogs thread - we're talking wide open spaces.

I know I meant it as a joke but now I'm wondering myself...maybe an older tower with very limited information was stored and retrieved by LE...or maybe its just a typo in the affidavit...

I copied this from a site explaining the panels

Even without a GPS receiver, your cell phone can provide information about your location. A computer can determine your location based on measurements of your signal, such as:

•Its angle of approach to the cell towers •How long it takes the signal to travel to multiple towers
•The strength of your signal when it reaches the towers



Just nagging at me if SA spent that 20 minutes between calls in the northern coverage area... where was he?...It wouldnt take that long to reach I-20

I believe SA is very very suspicious....or had to have one of the unlucky days of any human being....(doubtful) but I'm not sure that the pings can indicate he went to chestnut .... it just shows he was north of I-20 and in the northern coverage area of Tower 724....JMO

 

[mojave_red]

Oh! I see your puzzlement and raise you a conundrum!

There was a cell phone event at 0635 recorded by the same tower that recorded an event at 0656! So, either he ~left~ that tower's service area and came back within the 20 minutes, OR HE STAYED WITHIN THAT SERVICE AREA!

Which ~could~ insinuate that he was doing something inside that service area for about ten minutes longer than it would take to just drive through the service area, right?

Ten minutes isn't much time! Find a bush, drive through McDonald's, watch a chicken cross a road, dump some trash...


Oh, my goodness.


lynn

 

[captdj]

Oh! I see your puzzlement and raise you a conundrum!

There was a cell phone event at 0635 recorded by the same tower that recorded an event at 0656! So, either he ~left~ that tower's service area and came back within the 20 minutes, OR HE STAYED WITHIN THAT SERVICE AREA!

Which ~could~ insinuate that he was doing something inside that service area for about ten minutes longer than it would take to just drive through the service area, right?

Ten minutes isn't much time! Find a bush, drive through McDonald's, watch a chicken cross a road, dump some trash...


Oh, my goodness.


lynn

Not sure when he left this area...it doesnt mean he left after the 6:56AM Call.
All we know is where he was 2.5 hours later..

and he could have went straight to mom driving really slowly down 208 and didnt use the phone until 9:38 or its another possibility he stayed there for another 1 1/2 hours...

A lot of possibilities....JMO

 

[yllek]

Well, I guess we won't know anytime soon what evidence/value the phone records hold. Didn't expect that they would be released and certainly don't want anything out there that could jeopardize the investigation or future prosecution of those responsible. Still, curious as heck! LE refused the request for them to be released under the Freedom of Information act...

http://bigcountryhomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=343746

(posted this update in the three threads related to phone pings/records as it applies to all three specific discussions)

 

[SoSueMe]

Yeah, I wouldn't look for the phone records unless they are presented as evidence in a court of law. We don't have the Sunshine Laws in Texas like they do in Florida. LE isn't going to be sharing anything unless they pretty much feel like it.