Recognizing a rapid shift in policing with the progression of technology, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office created a digital forensics lab in 2007. Led initially by then-Sergeant Jeff Pelletier, the lab began with two people extracting data off hard drives and SD cards. With the dramatic increase in mobile phones, the lab grew each year, as the importance of digital evidence began showing up in nearly every case. Building upon the incredible foundation that Pelletier created through his initiative and hard work, the agency moved the lab into a high-functioning task force model shortly before Pelletier was promoted out of the lab to the rank of commander. Anchored by the Boulder County Sheriff’s office, nine professionals work cases in the lab, including the Longmont Department of Public Safety, Boulder Police and the Boulder District Attorney. 

Boulder logo“We’re tied in on and collaborate on all these major cases. Someone might run into something and have questions about analysis or some artifacts – it truly is collaborative,” said Detective Sergeant Clay Leak who runs the lab. “The lab really prides itself on being a role model for other up-and-coming labs around the state, and it’s the first call for a lot of other examiners, which is really cool just because of the reputation that some of the examiners here have built just through their expertise. I have always been technology geek, and then now I get to really take that to the next level.” 

The lab processed about 800 devices in 2024 and worked about 30 cases a month. And the volume isn’t slowing down. 

Detective Sophie Berman joined the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 after beginning her career in St. Louis, Missouri. She got her first exposure to digital forensics while working on a drug task force in Missouri, “Just doing basic Cellebrite dumps and analysis on the phones from drug busts,” Berman recalled. Then she took Cellebrite training. “Doing all the basics CCPA, CCO to get me going in the forensic world.” 

Training as a Cornerstone 

When she joined the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab in 2024 and digital forensics became her main focus, it opened her eyes to all she was yet to learn. “I had barely touched the tip of the iceberg with the knowledge that I had in terms of what digital forensics is and how in-depth it goes.” 

Berman dove into more training, which helps her on the stand when she testifies to the validity of the data. 

“The DA gets up and they spend 20-30 minutes going over my CV, and it’s nice to be able to talk about not just going to the classes, but also obtaining the certifications that are reputable and known not just to the DA, but to the defense and whomever their defense expert might be,” Berman explained. “Our goal is always just to remain neutral and not put our opinion into anything. ‘Was this text message here? Yes, it was.’” 

Leak goes through the same training and has the same certification requirements as the examiners on his team in the lab.  

“To know I have a better understanding of what my people are actually doing, I think is really important,” said Detective Sergeant Clay Leak, who’s been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2004 and took command of the lab in 2024. “Then also to be able to help on cases to help do peer review, and to help advocate for the lab in terms of justifying budget, overtime and lab activities.” 

Berman added, “We’ve got buy in from every department because we’ve helped close cases. We show up in court and we’re able to show the evidence and put people in prison. Not to toot our own horn, but we all testify as expert witnesses in major cases all the time, and those are often the testimonies that, I don’t want to say, ‘seal the deal,’ but add icing to the cake.” 

A Missing and Endangered 12-Year-Old Girl 

When a 12-year-old girl was reported missing and it was implied she may have run away with an older man, Berman immediately started running down the digital evidence.  

“The patrol deputies had seized her phones, three different phones, two burners and a regular one,” Berman said and she found her social profiles where the girl indicated she finally found love and was moving to Alabama. “We found the IP address associated to that post that leads us to James Dean’s house, which is actually here in Boulder. We serve a search warrant at the house and we find her hiding under a bed.” 

The girl, who came from a very difficult upbringing, was resistant and told police she was in love with James Dean. “Their theory is that they are cosmic beings that met on this planet, and it just happens to be at the wrong time age-wise.” 

So Berman and team then had to build the case and said the two were very careful not to leave a digital trace. But they found enough in Discord chats to get a restraining order and charge Dean with kidnapping. He ended up going to jail and was released on bond with special permission to leave the state. In this case, distance was a good thing.  

But then a year later, the young girl ran away again and was missing. Detectives learned she boarded a flight as an unaccompanied minor and landed in Phoenix with Dean posing as her father to retrieve her from the flight. The FBI got involved and eventually tracked them down through surveillance footage and cell phone pings.  

Combination of Strong Physical and Digital Evidence Equals a Plea Deal 

“They found them at a homeless shelter somewhere north of Phoenix. And the only things in their possession are bags full of sex toys, and they’re posing as father and daughter.” 

Dean is charged with kidnapping while forensics investigators go to work. 

“I used Cellebrite to extract and then as part of that extraction, we were able to identify CSAM, specifically of the victim, on the phone,” Berman said. Yet that wasn’t enough to convict, as the victim said she took the images and used the phone. To further build the case, Berman said “we used Cellebrite to extract that to go through the Discord databases and review those messages.” 

The digital evidence was strong and the physical evidence was undeniable.  

“They do DNA testing on the sex toys, prove that they were used with each other,” Berman explained. The DNA came back, and that’s when the plea deal was solidified. That’s what sealed the deal for him to go to prison.” 

A Supermarket Mass Murder 

Digital evidence was critical in convicting Ahmad Alissa, who in 2021, carried out a mass murder at the King Soopers Supermarket. Alissa opened fire in the supermarket, killing 10, including a police officer. 

The gunman pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Yet, the digital evidence revealed a different story.  

“Our examiners were heavily involved in that case,” said Leak. “Digital forensics played a huge role in showing the planning, search history – showing that premeditation. Even the psychology expert heavily referenced digital forensics and the artifacts that were discovered by our examiners.” 

Alissa was given the maximum of 10 life sentences plus 1,334 more years.  

Leak and Berman both feel digital evidence is as, or perhaps more, important than DNA these days. “DNA will tell you someone was there, but a digital device might tell you why, might tell you for how long, it might tell you where, Berman said. “DNA  is very important, don’t get me wrong.” 

“[DNA] doesn’t give as much context,” Clay added.