2.Cynthia Bobe — Direct/Cross
88 linesCYNTHIA BOBE, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: Have a seat, please. Once you're seated, state your full name, spelling your last.
CYNTHIA BOBE: Cynthia Bobe. C-Y-N-T-H-I-A, B-O-B-E.
DIRECT EXAMINATION By Mr. Graham:
SHAWN GRAHAM: Agent Bobe, is that correct?
CYNTHIA BOBE: It is.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Where are you employed, ma'am?
CYNTHIA BOBE: With the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And how long have you been employed with the FBI?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Just over 15 years.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Back in September of 2014, were you in the Jackson, Mississippi field office?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Let me show you what's been marked and is in evidence as State's 91 and ask if you recognize that. This would be in relation to a group of electronics, specifically a phone that Lieutenant Eric Johnson with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation asked for your assistance.
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Do you recognize that?
CYNTHIA BOBE: I do.
SHAWN GRAHAM: When you received that from Lieutenant Johnson, was it sealed?
CYNTHIA BOBE: It was.
SHAWN GRAHAM: What were you asked to do?
CYNTHIA BOBE: I was asked to take it back to the Jackson field office and have our forensic examiners begin to review it.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Your forensic examiner would be Vickie Roberts. Is that correct?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And did you do that?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes, I did.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Do you remember when you gave it to Ms. Roberts?
CYNTHIA BOBE: I gave it to Ms. Roberts on September the 9th of 2014.
SHAWN GRAHAM: During the time that it was in your possession before you gave it to Ms. Roberts, did you go into the package or manipulate the content of the phone in any way, shape or form?
CYNTHIA BOBE: No.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Ms. Roberts had it for a period of time to begin with. Is that correct?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And then you received the phone back from her --
CYNTHIA BOBE: I did.
SHAWN GRAHAM: -- is that correct? Do you remember when you received the phone back from her?
CYNTHIA BOBE: It was a day or two later.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Once you got the phone back from her, did you try to manipulate the phone or the data contained within the phone?
CYNTHIA BOBE: No, I did not.
SHAWN GRAHAM: In fact, did you end up sealing the phone back up into that envelope?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And how do you know that?
CYNTHIA BOBE: I have my initials and a date.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Where do you see your initials and date?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Right here in the bottom right corner across the evidence tape.
SHAWN GRAHAM: So on the security tape on the bottom, it says, C.B., which is your initials, and then the date, correct?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And the purpose of that is just to seal it back up and maintain the chain of custody and the integrity of the item --
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Is that correct? So after sealing the item back up on September 23rd of 2014, what, if anything, did you do with that phone?
CYNTHIA BOBE: I met Shelby Derrick with the Lexington County Sheriff's Office on September the 23rd of '14 and transferred the evidence items to her.
SHAWN GRAHAM: So you sealed -- you sealed it back up and you handed it to Shelby Derrick?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
SHAWN GRAHAM: And then that was your involvement as far as that phone?
CYNTHIA BOBE: That's correct.
SHAWN GRAHAM: Thank you, Agent Bobe. Please answer any questions the Defense has.
CROSS-EXAMINATION By Mr. Young:
BOYD YOUNG: Good morning, Agent Bode.
CYNTHIA BOBE: Good morning.
BOYD YOUNG: Was it just the phone that you had or was there a large volume of electronic devices?
CYNTHIA BOBE: There were other evidence items, as well.
BOYD YOUNG: Do you recall what all there was?
CYNTHIA BOBE: No, not off the top of my head.
BOYD YOUNG: I'll show you what's been marked as Defense Exhibit number 125 and ask you if you recognize that.
CYNTHIA BOBE: I do.
BOYD YOUNG: Does that have your signature on it?
CYNTHIA BOBE: It does.
BOYD YOUNG: And can you tell us what it is?
CYNTHIA BOBE: It is a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation chain of custody form.
BOYD YOUNG: Okay. And the items on it that are listed, are those all the items that you were given?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes, I believe so. This is what I signed.
BOYD YOUNG: Okay. Can you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury just -- you don't have to read every word on it. Not all the serial numbers, but if you could tell us briefly sort of what all you took possession of.
CYNTHIA BOBE: It's listed, a computer, an additional computer, three computers, an Eagle Consensus external hard drive, an Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, a Western Digital hard drive, Passport Western Digital hard drive, SanDisk Cruzer, Verbatim storage device, several Cruzer micro storage devices, a Kingston DataTraveler, multiple other storage devices. A Lexar two gigabyte storage device, SanDisk Cruzer, Verbatim 128 megabyte storage device, a Diversified Technology storage device, Kingston DT mini slim storage device, a Lexar media compact flash card, Galaxy Note Three cellular telephone, a Samsung cellular telephone, an AT&T cellular telephone and a Verizon cellular telephone.
BOYD YOUNG: A lot of electronics?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Yes.
BOYD YOUNG: A lot of stuff that has a lot of mass storage capabilities?
CYNTHIA BOBE: Correct.
BOYD YOUNG: You didn't manipulate any of them?
CYNTHIA BOBE: No.
BOYD YOUNG: And you turned it all back over to the South Carolina, Ms Derrick?
CYNTHIA BOBE: That's correct.
BOYD YOUNG: Thank you.
BOYD YOUNG: Your Honor, I'd offer Defense number 125 into evidence.
SHAWN GRAHAM: No objection.
THE COURT: Defense 125?
SHAWN GRAHAM: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: All right. Admitted without objection. (Whereupon, Defense Exhibit number 125 was admitted into evidence).
BOYD YOUNG: I'm sorry. I have nothing further.
SHAWN GRAHAM: No questions from the State, Your Honor.
THE COURT: You may step down. (Whereupon, the witness stepped down from the witness stand).
SHAWN GRAHAM: The State calls Vickie Roberts.