Nearly every modern crime has a digital component, and as the amount of digital evidence continues to grow, it presents unique challenges for law enforcement. However, agencies can turn these challenges into opportunities to enhance investigations and collaboration by embracing digital transformation.  

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) exemplifies this as a member of the Northern Nevada Cyber Center. The Cyber Center is a digital forensics hub which supports law enforcement agencies across Northern Nevada in handling the growing volume of digital evidence in investigations. As Detective Sergeant Sam Van Der Wall of the WCSO said, “Practically every single case has multiple phones, computers and iPads and we’re drowning in digital evidence.” 

From the Ground Up: The Northern Nevada Cyber Center 

Det. Sgt. Sam Van Der Wall, a leader in the WCSO digital forensics lab, oversees Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases. He began his career with the sheriff’s office as a network engineer in 2003, eventually becoming deputized in 2007. With more than 17 years of experience, Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall has been instrumental in creating a robust, state-of-the-art digital forensics lab at the Northern Nevada Cyber Center. 

The center served the southern half of the state, while the main facility in Las Vegas covers the south. Its origins trace back more than a decade when WCSO detectives began exploring digital forensics to support their investigations. Over time, other agencies joined the initiative and the lab expanded organically. As Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall explained, “Our lab [at the cyber center] really didn’t have a specific time when it was created. It just naturally developed over time and expanded to what it is now.” 

The center now has five full-time examiners, with part-time detectives from other agencies who also use its advanced capabilities. The lab is equipped with cutting-edge solutions such as Cellebrite Inseyets for data extraction and Guardian for efficient evidence management, giving surrounding agencies an edge in digital investigations. 

Revealing a Murder Motive 

When what seemed like a traffic accident in Reno left several people injured and one woman dead, investigators had to rely on digital forensics. It started after a confrontation between two group of people at a local hotel casino. One group left on foot while the suspect contacted his brother for a ride.  

During the drive, the suspect switched seats with his brother and eventually found the other group walking along the road. The suspect sped up and drove into the group, killing one person, then drove off from the scene and abandoned the vehicle at an apartment complex. 

After analyzing the suspect’s and passengers’ phones, examiners were able to show the crash was a premeditated act. Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall said, “We were able to show when the suspect’s car was stopped, and when they switched seats, how fast the car was going at impact and the deliberate speeding up before running the group over.” 

The data also pinpointed where the vehicle was hidden, helping investigators locate it. This comprehensive digital trail led to a successful prosecution, with the suspect pleading guilty to murder at the preliminary hearing. 

Data Doesn’t Lie: Catching a Child Predator 

In another case, a cyber tip from Yahoo! led to the investigation and ultimate conviction of a middle school counselor for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  The counselor’s emails were flagged as suspicious activity, so investigators with Washoe County served search warrants at his home and at the school. Using Cellebrite Physical Analyzer, forensics examiners extracted critical data from his locked MacBook and discovered the counselor had been posing as a teenage girl online to manipulate boys into sharing explicit photos and videos of themselves. Forensic analysis also revealed that the counselor paid some of the victims for explicit materials, which are considered CSAM, and stalked some of his victims. 

Investigators ended up recovering more than 250 images and videos of CSAM as undeniable proof. Although the suspect made minimal admissions during his interview, the digital evidence told the full story. He was sentenced to five years to life in prison for producing child pornography. If released on parole, he will face lifetime supervision and must register as a sex offender. 

Besides increasing efficiency in solving crimes, digital forensics solutions can help limit the exposure of law enforcement personnel to traumatizing CSAM and other materials. Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall said, “There’s always going to be a need for us to lay our eyes on a [CSAM] video or image, but if we have a program that identifies that stuff and categorizes it, it reduces the actual time of us having to look at that.” 

Location Data Pins Culprit to String of Burglaries 

Digital evidence was also key in solving a series of car burglaries at a rural trailhead in Washoe County . The case began when a victim discovered fraudulent charges on her credit card after her car was broken into at the trailhead. Surveillance footage from Best Buy, where the card was used, identified the suspect. He was later detained with additional stolen credit cards linked to other victims, all targeted at the local trailhead and gym parking areas. 

With no physical evidence, investigators relied on digital forensics. The examiners extracted location data from the suspect’s phone and mapped his movements in five-second intervals. The map showed the suspect stopping briefly at parking areas where the burglaries happened before shopping with the stolen cards.  

This precise digital trail and the stolen cards in his possession tied the suspect to each crime scene and secured convictions on all burglary charges. The case highlights the role of location data in solving crimes without traditional evidence. 

How Digital Forensics Solutions Change the Game 

A large state like Nevada can benefit greatly from digital forensics solutions. As Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall explained, “We have counties we serve that’ll send us digital forensics, and they’re seven hours away. In the past, we would have to throw the report on a thumb drive. Now, we drop it in Guardian and we go, ‘Boom, your evidence is available right now.’ “That really helps rural agencies in Northern Nevada. Many of them can’t have 50-terabyte servers, so we’re storing that for them.”  

Digital forensics solutions are key in reducing the backlog at WCSO. According to Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall, they receive hundreds of ICAC cyber tips. “That’s impossible to deal with. On top of that, the investigators carry their own caseload and have secondary duties. So, with programs like Cellebrite Inseyets and Guardian, the key is that they can make us more efficient.” 

Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall believes artificial intelligence (AI) plays a major role in transforming digital investigations. While AI helps identify CSAM, he acknowledged that it’s a constant cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and criminals. “They learn our tactics and change theirs, and you go back and forth. And AI’s the next area where that happens.”  

However, AI has been instrumental in making an investigator’s daily operations more efficient, including report writing and identifying suspects. Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall explained, “There are AI tools that can analyze our entire call for service through a body camera and print out a report based on that. We can then review the report to confirm what happened, making us more efficient. Then, we can get out of the report room and right back to the call of service.” 

Why Certification is So Important 

Training is essential to upgrading officers’ skills and expertise, but Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall also highlighted the growing importance of certification for the courtroom. “In court, they want to know if you’re an expert, and if you say, ‘I’m certified in it,’ they can quickly move to the next question.” He added, “The most valuable thing is to actually learn how to be better at our job, but we highly value certifications too because legally it just makes our job easier in court.” 

Det. Sgt. Van Der Wall’s goal in his law enforcement career has evolved over the years. Initially, he was more focused on protecting the public and putting the bad guys behind bars, but he’s now looking toward the future.  “Now that I’m at the tail end of my career, I want to set up the next generation to do their work effectively and get them all the tools and training they need to do their job,” he said. 

More than ever, agencies should prioritize developing their digital investigative capabilities to drive case closure. As the Det. Sgt. puts it, “DNA and fingerprints will always be crucial, but digital forensics is not optional anymore. In cases, they will ask you, ‘Where’s the phone dump and the geolocation on this device?’ Furthermore, digital evidence is in more than just computers and cell phones; it’s also in devices like security cameras, smart refrigerators and car computers.”