Timothy Verrill accused of killing two women in Farmington in 2017
NH judge orders Amazon to give Echo recordings in double homicide case
Timothy Verrill accused of killing two women in Farmington in 2017
Hide Transcript Show Transcript
WEBVTT WMUR’S MIKE CRONIN IS LIVE WITH THE RULING JUST HANDED DOWN. MIKE C: AS TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES, SO TOO DOES THE WAY IT’S USED IN THE COURTROO THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF EVIDENCE IF PROSECUTORS ARE RIGHT. 48-YEAR-OLD CHRISTINE SULLIVAN AND 32-YEAR-OLD JENNA PELLEGRINI WERE STABBED TO DEATH AT A HOME IN FARMINGTON IN JANUARY O 2017. TIMOTHY VERRILL IS CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER. HE PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND IS AWAITING TRIAL. THE STATE BELIEVES AN AMAZON ECHO SMART SPEAKER, WHICH USES ALEXA VOICE COMMAND, MAY HAVE RECORDED AUDIO OF SULLIVAN’S MURDER AS WELL AS ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE OR AFTER IT. STATE POLICE HAVE THE SPEAKER, AND A JUDGE AGREED TO LET THEM ACCESS THE RECORDINGS BY ORDERING AMAZON TO TURN THEM OVER FROM ITS SERVER. PROF. SCHERR: I THINK MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON’T EV REALIZE THAT ALEXA IS TAKING ACCOUNT OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR HOUSE, IN ADDITION RESPONDING TO YOUR DEMANDS AND COMMANDS. MIKE C: AMAZON SAYS IT WON’T RELEASE ANY INFORMATION UNTIL A VALID LEGAL DEMAND HAS BEEN PROPERLY SER
NH judge orders Amazon to give Echo recordings in double homicide case
Timothy Verrill accused of killing two women in Farmington in 2017
DOVER, N.H. —An Amazon Echo device could play a role in a double homicide case in Farmington.
A judge Friday ordered Amazon to turn over recordings that might have been captured by an Echo smart speaker in the Farmington house where two women were stabbed to death in January 2017.
Timothy Verrill, of Dover, is accused of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Jenna Pellegrini, 32, and Christine Sullivan, 48. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said they believe the Echo device, which listens for Alexa voice commands, might have recorded audio of Sullivan's death, as well as anything that happened before or after it.
State police have the speaker, and the judge agreed to let them access the recordings and ordered Amazon to turn over any recordings on its servers.
Experts said the case reveals some of the implications of having such devices in people's homes.
"I think most people probably don't even realize that Alexa is taking account of what's going on in your house, in addition to responding to your demands and commands," said Albert Scherr of the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Amazon officials said the company won't release any information until a valid legal demand has been properly served.