Convictions in Home Invasion Double Murder Case
Identifying suspects with call records - from warrant and confession to trial and conviction
THE CASE
In July 8, 2014, a home robbery had three male victims, bound and shot “execution style.” Two died, but one survived. The surviving victim could not identify his attackers but knew there were three of them.
One viable lead in the tight-knit Bristol community pointed to Anthony King as a suspect. As Bucks County authorities investigated into King, he had been murdered in Philadelphia. At this point, there was no information suggesting who the remaining two suspects were.
THE CHALLENGE
From a jailhouse informant, the authorities discovered:
- The second suspect was identified as Eric Dillard;
- The third suspect was a male with dreadlocks;
- King was the common link. Both Dillard and the third suspect had not met each other prior to the home invasion murders; and,
- All three suspects were on the scene of a separate murder in Philadelphia two hours prior to the Bristol murders.
With call records from both Dillard and King’s phones and knowledge that Dillard and the third suspect did not know one another, the authorities were able to identify the third suspect as Demetrius Baker.
HOW GEOTIME HELPED
Pennsylvania National Guard processed the call records in GeoTime. The analysis showed the three subjects moving together—meeting up to go to the Philadelphia crime scene, then to the Bristol murder scene, before disbanding.
The GeoTime analysis was submitted in the application for a Title III Hard Wire on Baker’s phone. When questioned, Baker confessed after viewing his phone movements, along with Dillard’s and King’s phones, in GeoTime.
Bucks County District Attorney’s Office purchased GeoTime as this case moved to court. “It was invaluable in explaining movements and phone communication between the three to prosecution and defense attorneys,” said David Hanks, Detective.
GeoTime Features Used
- Common Callers analysis
- Data layering of multiple sets of call records
- Video playback of mapped data movements
- PowerPoint reporting for court
THE RESULT
In August 2017, Dillard was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Baker cooperated and has yet to be sentenced.
“For the trial, I plotted the most damning phone calls using the coordinates and sectors from the CDR’s, and used a PowerPoint of GeoTime CRT to back them up.”
-David Hanks, Detective, Bucks County District Attorney’s Office