Court Admits Postmortem Fingerprint Unlock

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]How did a severed hand unlock the phone?

[00:00:03]The court admitted postmortem prints to compel device access.

[00:00:07]He was the prime suspect in a double shooting. He died before arraignment.

[00:00:11]His iPhone sat in evidence encrypted.

[00:00:14]Prosecutors petitioned to use his fingerprints. Defense counsel objected on constitutional grounds. Riley required a warrant, one issued. But they argued dignity, privacy, and third-party texts. They claimed biometrics were testimony in disguise. Forensics warned Touch ID locks out after 48 hours. The choice was now or never. Can a corpse be compelled? The judge said no privilege survives death. The fifth protects the mind, not the body. A fingerprint is a key, not a confession. With a particularized warrant, the search was reasonable. Family lacked standing to assert his rights. Technicians pressed his thumb and the phone opened. The verdict stood. The dead cannot shield the