Teens’ Google Search History Helped Detectives Solve Horrific Denver Arson Murder Case

Denver police identified three teenagers responsible for a deadly arson attack on a family through a reverse keyword search warrant served to Google. Wired reported that in August 2020, an arson attack in Denver killed five members of a Senegalese family, including two children. Initially, investigators had little evidence on the case until detectives Neil Baker and Ernest Sandoval decided to use a reverse keyword search warrant to obtain information from Google. The warrant revealed that three local teenagers had searched for the victims’ address prior to the crime, leading to their arrest. This case underscores the increasing use of reverse keyword search warrants by law enforcement, raising concerns about privacy and individual rights. Despite legal challenges, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the warrant’s constitutionality, setting a precedent for its future use. Critics fear these warrants could be misused to target individuals based on sensitive information. The teens involved in the arson attack accepted plea deals, with one receiving a 60-year prison sentence. While the victims’ families acknowledged that no punishment could undo their loss, they found some closure in the teens’ prosecution.