Detectives in Hallandale Beach, FL, believe two Amazon Echo devices in the home of a woman who was killed in a bizarre incident may help them solve a murder case.
According to a search warrant obtained by CBS 4 News, Hallandale Beach Police asked a judge to order Amazon to turn over audio recordings from a pair of Amazon Echo Dot devices in the condo Silvia Galva Crespo shared with her husband, Adam Crespo. Detectives indicate in the warrant that they believe the devices might have captured audio of what led up to and what occurred during her death this past July when the blade of a spear pierced her chest, killing her.
According to a police arrest report, Crespo and Galva argued one night in July and Crespo tried to pull her off a bed but Silvia grabbed onto a spear to keep herself on the bed.
The police report says “While (Adam Crespo) was still pulling her from the bed he heard a snap. (Adam Crespo) turned around and discovered shortly after the blade had penetrated the victim’s chest. (Adam Crespo) pulled the blade out of the victim’s chest ‘hoping it was not too bad.’”
Galva died and Crespo is charged with second-degree murder. Court records show he has pled not guilty.
The search warrant says detectives have obtained the “Amazon Echo Recordings w/Alexa Voice Command”
A Hallandale Beach Police Department spokesperson, Sgt. Pedro Abut, acknowledged that the agency received material from Amazon.
CBS 4 News reached out to Amazon about this case. A spokesperson said “Amazon does not disclose customer information in response to government demands unless we’re required to do so to comply with a legally valid and binding order. Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”
Amazon said they do not record conversations or send audio to its cloud until a device hears the wake word like Alexa or Echo. Amazon also says you can delete any recordings you make.
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