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Question
Hello, I have a question concerning the ability to track phone records. If you had six victims who had been called by the same person over the course of the past 2 to 3 months, would this show up in a normal investigation? I am writing a novel in which a killer has killed six women and they apparently have nothing in common. Would it be standard practice to check the phone records, and if so, would the detail be available to identify the caller? Thank you for you help. I look forward to your reply.
Hello Tom,
Yes it would be a standard practice to check the phone records of each victim but remember...each state has its own laws. In my state a subpoena is required to obtain phone records from the phone company even if the records are those of a homicide victim. So the police would have to go to the phone company with a subpoena that they would obtain from either a judge or the grand jury and serve it on the phone company. It is really only a formality but it is legally necessary.
The records might not identify the caller if the calls were local and the victim did not activate the caller ID funciton. If they were long distance calls or if the caller used "caller ID" then the originating phone would be identified.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
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| Comment | It was very kind of you to reply me so soon about the options I have. I guess I will just pay the fine as soon as possible, and forget about it. Thank you very very much! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Jack Toomey
Expertise
Please do NOT ask questions about potential jail sentences that you or your friends may receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer or a parole officer so questions about those subjects will be rejected. I am a police officer with 26 years experience. Can answer questions about crime, police procedure, investigations, criminal law, search and seizure, traffic offenses. Prefer not to answer questions on the death penalty. Please do not ask homework questions. Remember this. The law in every state is different so questions about laws that are specific to your state could be difficult to answer. I also cannot give you legal advice on what to do or not to do in court. I have worked with authors in the past and will be happy to review scenarios or plots with authors to check for believability or accuracy.
Experience
Police officer with 26 years experience. Ten years in patrol and sixteen years in the detective bureau investigating every type of crime including murder, rape, robbery, theft, fraud, missing persons, etc, etc. Also taught at the police academy in areas such as constitutional law, search and seizure, and lineups.
Education/Credentials
B.S. in Criminology from the University of Maryland.
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