News

Actions

Phone in missing teens' case to be sent to Apple

Posted at 11:13 AM, Apr 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-29 17:32:45-04

The recovered iPhone from Austin Stephanos will be sent to Apple for forensic examination.

Whatever information is recovered will be sealed and sent back to a Palm Beach County Judge.

That was the result of a hearing Friday afternoon in a Palm Beach County courtroom.

The phone belonged to Austin Stephanos-- who has been lost at sea along with his friend Perry Cohen since last summer.

RELATED: More Austin and Perry coverage 

The phone was recovered last month off the coast of Bermuda with the boys’ boat-- but there was a legal battle over what should happen with the phone.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission returned the phone to the Stephanos family. It said since there was no criminal investigation it could not keep or examine the personal property. But Perry Cohen's family wanted that phone to be taken and examined by authorities.

“We are highly disappointed that the FWC turned over the phone to Mr.  Stephanos and we are very pleased that the judge has ordered that the phone be sent someplace for a thorough, transparent and truthful investigation for both families,“ Perry Cohen’s mother Pamela Cohen said.

The judge will then determine what information is relevant to the boys disappearance and release that information to the Cohen family. 

 

Tweets by @AlyssaHymanWPTV