Today, more and more cases involve the use of stored data in a suspect’s computer as evidence.

In the town of Delavan, the computer of town clerk Dixie Bersteen had been given to a private investigator to search for possible clues. Last August 27, 2007, Bersteen had filed a formal complaint with the police department because she believed that her computer had been tampered. When the Janesville Gazette requested for information about the complaint, the Police Chief at that time, Andrew Mayer, had refused to give any.

He has been fired since then and temporarily replaced by Deputy Chief Phillip Smith as interim chief.

The computer was, however, seized by town attorney Steve Wassel with Town Supervisors Kay Franzen and Jim Wolfgram acting as witnesses. But because neither the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office nor the state Attoney General’s Office wanted to take possession of the computer, it was turned over instead to a private investigator.

In Suffolk, Long Island, another computer was confiscated for containing evidence against the suspect. James Bonfiglio, a Ronkonkoma karate teacher and proprietor of Excel Karate Academy, was arrested after one of his students reported to his mother and the police about having sex with his karate teacher.

An investigation then ensued with the police searching for vital clues in the academy and the suspect’s home, both of which were places where the said incidents had allegedly occurred. The police had been able to uncover two hidden cameras in the suspect’s home and another one in the academy’s bathroom. Investigators also confiscated the suspect’s computer, having seen stored instant messages and emails which hinted about Bonfiglio’s possibly similar involvement with ten other students, all of them underaged. At least two other male adults had surfaced and informed the police about having sexual relations with Bonfiglio when they were young students of the suspect themselves. Neither, however, had pressed charges. 

In New Orleans, Forensic Analysis and Engineering Corp. had requested for the federal judge to prevent a lawyer from conforming to a subpoena for a computer hard drive owned by one of the company’s employees. Lawyer Zach Scruggs represents hundreds of New Orleans homeowners suing insurance companies for overbilling damages brought upon by Hurricane Katrina. The computer drive is believed to contain sensitive information that could prove such claims, by the company is concerned about public dissemination of “privileged information” which may be stored in the hard drive.

These three are just a few cases in which data stored in computers has proved to be critical in solving mysteries. Thus, private investigations are sure to include searching for possible clues inside computers, too. Remember this when you’re hiring a private investigator – or someone else has hired one to investigate you.

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

While many think that actual private investigators are sleazy and not averse to blackmailing, most private investigators in the silver screen are good-looking, dashing, charming, and very, very intelligent. If you’re looking for some excellent whodunit movies to pass the time, here are some suggestions to consider:

Charlie’s Angels – Who can ever forget the lovely trio working for the never-seen Charles and his private detective agency? The popular long-running TV series was adapted for film in 2000 and featuring the original’s successors: Dylan (Drew Barrymore), Alex (Lucy Liu), and Natalie (Cameron Diaz). And if you can’t get enough of the comedy and girl power of Charlie’s Angels, there’s always the sequel to watch as well.

The Thin Man – The great thing about watching old movies is that, without the benefit of today’s special effects to conceal weak plot points, you’ll know they have to work extremely hard on perfecting the cast, directing, and storyline. And that’s what you get from 1934’s The Thin Man. The movie features one of the best detective couples on screen: newlyweds Nick and Nora Charles. Played respectively by William Powell and Mryna Loy, the detective and his heiress bride had just embarked on their honeymoon when they were offered an amazing case to solve.

Chinatown – Directed by the legendary Roman Polanski, Chinatown features critically acclaimed actors John Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Released in 1974, this darkly mesmerizing movie revolves around private eye and ex-cop Jake Gittes. Manipulated by forces yet unseen, Gittes stumbles into a conspiracy which caused the death of at least one person and involving precious gallons of water.

The Hound of the Baskervilles – No list regarding fictional private detectives can be complete without including at least one Sherlock Holmes movie. In this movie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super detective is played by Peter Cushing. Accompanied by his ubiquitous assistant Dr. Watson, played by Andre Morrell, Sherlock Holmes is asked to investigate about the supernatural hound that will allegedly bring the curse down to Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) and his family. To date, this is considered as one of the greatest Sherlock Holmes films made.

The Big Sleep – Another detective classic, this 1946 movie stars the much-lauded tandem of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Based on the first novel of Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep possesses a highly convoluted plot that will challenge even the greatest fans of private investigator movies. Bogart plays Detective Philip Marlowe and who is asked to investigate the gambling debts of his client’s youngest daughters. Through a maze of blackmail, murder, and lies, Marlowe also finds himself falling for the tough but attractive Vivian, played by Bacall.

Happy clue-hunting!

Re-Tweet This Post RSS