The Phone That Wouldn’t Turn On: The Evidence Was Still There
A device that would not power on became the key source of evidence, leading to the recovery of historical text messages that were thought to be gone forever.
The Challenge
During a litigation matter, important text messages from several years earlier were needed for review. The only known source was an older mobile phone that the custodian claimed no longer worked.
Because the device would not power on and the messages had not been transferred to a replacement phone, the relevant communications appeared to be out of reach.
Our Approach
Rather than treating the device as unrecoverable, Aletheian Labs examined the phone itself.
Our team determined the device could still serve as a source of evidence. After diagnosing the hardware failure, we disassembled the phone, sourced replacement components, and restored it to a state that allowed for forensic collection and analysis.
We then documented the recovery process and findings in the expert report.
The Breakthrough
- Restored a phone that had been considered unusable
- Recovered historical text messages that were not available on newer devices
- Preserved evidence that may otherwise have been lost
- Combined hardware repair and forensic analysis in a single investigation
- Provided the client with access to communications that became an important part of the case
