@gatorage ? Lol
ETA clarification that we’re wondering if LE will be able to retrieve a deleted video from TS’s phone and iCloud. I’m assuming she deleted the deleted items folder as well. But actually, I think a screenshot I saw of her phone indicated it might have been an Android - so this might be moot...
Great question!!! This is actually kind OSs a multi-parter, but to give you the gist:
Depending on how the media is stored, it’s entirely possible that she had a video and then destroyed her phone. But just like a computer hard drive, there’s almost no such thing as “leave no trace” in the data world, especially with the way extremely physically small hard drives (like the one in your phone) is partitioned. Think of the phone as a computer, and the hard drive as a pie chart. Let’s say that it only saved to photos/video and her phone doesn’t have cloud backup enabled and/or never connects to the internet again.
When you delete something, it leaves a tiny mark behind, like trace evidence. Let’s say it went into the recycling bin and you emptied that. You’ve moved it from at least 2 partitions, or pie pieces, of your hard drive. Maybe it’s not physically there anymore, either. But you’ve dragged it across 2 places, and you’re leaving trace evidence everywhere you go.
There’s also cache, or temporary files, that are saved automatically. If you have certain applications that will upload photos/video to another place (like Facebook will accept a video you’ve recorded yourself, and then make it small enough and fix it so it works on their application). When you select something like “Allow Facebook access to edit files”, you’re giving it permission to “sniff”, or constantly scan, for files. So it may have a small chunk of that video, or it may have the whole thing compressed. If you use Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, same thing.
Let’s talk about the cloud for a hot second. The cloud is great! All hail the cloud! Just kidding. But! It can catch you doing some stuff, and fortunately, there are laws that allow LE to request Preservation, or “save everything that this person is uploading/currently has uploaded, don’t let them delete anything “.
Remember what I said about cache? Cloud backup usually works off of a cache file, a temporary backup, basically. Most companies set an amount of time to cache something. Have you ever used “Undo delete” on a document? That’s cache. Let’s say it’s 24 hours. So LE gets a preservation warrant and sends it to a company requesting cloud data and preservation. That’s very standard in missing endangered cases. Not only can that company save everything that’s on there when they get it, but they can also roll that clock back 24 hours to grab anything that’s been deleted from the cloud by the user and add that to the preservation file. Now LE has the past 24 hours of photos/videos/emails/etc.
In this case, let’s say LE gets a Preservation warrant on Monday the 2nd at 12pm. This goes to tech, who not only preserves what they have currently and going forward, but can preserve anything that went in or out from Sunday at 12:01pm.
Can anyone link pictures of T’s phone/watch? If I could see it, I may be able to provide general info on what they do. It wouldn’t make much sense for her to have an Apple Watch with an Android, because the watch has to be set up with an iPhone, and it works in tandem with it. T is dumb as a bag of hammers, though, so anything’s possible!
Sorry I haven’t been on, I’ve been spending time with the family. Hearing that G was presumed deceased hit me in a way other cases had not, and the press conference was so emotional. I just needed to take some mental health time. I’m back and ready to go, I’m super behind, but am cracking a cold Tank 7 and trying to catch up!!! Love y’all!