Trial Tuesday: How digital evidence unmasked a stalker

After a young woman ended their relationship, a local attorney spent hours every day stalking her online. He created dozens of email accounts. He pretended to be her friends and family. He sent threats to her and to the people she loved.

At first, investigators could not tell who was behind the messages. Digital forensics changed that. Investigators traced the messages to Hendry’s home and his workplace, and then to his specific devices.

What happened

Hendry was a married attorney in his 40s. He met the woman online. Their relationship was mostly texting, and they met in person a few times.

When she ended it, he refused to accept that it was over. After she cut off contact, he spent hours each day tormenting her.

He used several platforms to create email accounts. Some used his own name. Others used the names of her friends and family, to hide who he was and to make her feel she couldn’t trust anyone. The messages threatened her, her family, and her friends.

A court ordered him to stop. He kept going anyway, using a simple cellphone to reach her.

Hendry was convicted at trial of felony stalking, extortion, felony harassment, and multiple counts of violating a protection order. He was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison.

Why digital evidence matters

The digital world can be frightening. Someone can find and torment a victim without ever leaving home.

But that same technology leaves a trail. Digital evidence can show where a person was, prove who sent a message, and reveal why they sent it.

I have seen firsthand how much this evidence matters when we fight for victims. That is why I push every deputy prosecutor to stay current on digital forensics and technology. Strong cases require us to understand the tools offenders use, and to know how to use the evidence those tools leave behind.