Horrible! From Guardian Technology:
“Prosecutors claim a Mac specialist on trial in connection with the killing of his wife did a Google search for the words: “neck snap break” and “hold” before she was killed. Robert Petrick, who is defending himself in Durham, NC, cross examined a computer forensics expert this week. The expert testified about digital footprints he said the state discovered on several hard drives in Petrick’s home,” reports TechWeb.
“Prosecutors claimed that Petrick, who stands out in his Christian North Carolina community as a self-professed Pagan, left behind a trail of digital evidence including a visit to a site called bloodfest666. Investigators are also focusing e-mails to women they said Petrick was having affairs with and a download of a document entitled ‘22 ways to kill a man with your bare hands’.”
Note: “a lawyer standing by for Petrick said he believes the evidence was all culled from the hard drives and he has no information that Google participated in the investigation.”
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Heheh. Way to incriminate yourself, Penrick! I hate to jump the gun or anything, but the words ‘clearly guilty’ flashed across my mind when I read the words “…who is defending himself.” The sure sign of a mentalist who needs to be locked up.
So speaks a lawyer, eh?
Well perhaps but it makes everyone’s heart sink when we’re in court and hear that someone is a ‘personal litigant’ ie representing themselves. It means the case will last ten times longer than it should and will be no better done as a result.