A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who is also a member of the Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST), testified he used cellular location data to track a homicide suspect’s whereabouts in a case before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on Feb. 11.
Terrance Stoney, 31, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Donte Tiller, 43. The shooting occurred at the intersection of Naylor Road and Southern Avenue, SE, on March 17, 2023.
In court, the FBI agent shared evidence he had acquired from cell phone providers, which found Stoney’s cell phone near the incident at the time of the shooting.
Nikki Lotze, Stoney’s attorney, questioned the exactness of the data used by the FBI agent to track Stoney’s movements, to which he testified he can’t pinpoint his exact location at the time of the incident.
Lotze showed the jury a warning that comes with any request for cellular location data from a major provider, reading “Please exercise caution in using these records for investigative or prosecutorial purposes.”
Lotze said the signals from tower to phone can also be disrupted by environmental factors such as buildings or other structures in a process called multi-pathing, which can affect a phone’s location.
The prosecution countered that multi-pathing is already taken into account in any case like this. They reiterated the reliability of the reports.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Feb. 12.
