Google Logs, Guns N’ Roses and Murder

CNET is reporting that a conviction, at least partly based on search query logs from Google, has been upheld on appeal:

A physical search of Justin’s computer revealed that a few months before the murder, he had searched for terms including “trauma, cases, gunshot, right chest” and “Florida & divorce.” Prosecutors had also discovered that the defendant downloaded a suggestive Guns N’ Roses song called “Used to Love Her” and then deleted it a few weeks later, after his wife’s death.

The lyrics: “I used to love her, but I had to kill her / I had to put her / Six feet under / And I can still hear her complain.”

The jury convicted Justin and he was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed on grounds that the evidence was wholly circumstantial and insufficient for conviction. A Florida state appeals court upheld his conviction and sentence.

Better be careful what you search for these days, eh?

The search queries in question were used as evidence of the husband’s mens rea (guilty mind).  Technically, it's considered 'hearsay' but may be allowed under any one of the numerous loopholes found in our justice system.

Here again, we see that search query logs may very well represent our “database of intentions”.  It certainly makes Scroogle that much more appealing.

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