Parsing the Truth: One Byte at a Time

The digital evidence contained no leads until Steve Bunting searched for nothing in the 2021 Keith Gibson murder case.

Special Guest: Steven Bunting
Stacy Eldridge and Becky Passmore talk with digital forensics veteran Steve Bunting about the 2021 Keith Gibson murder case and the breakthrough that came from tracking phone inactivity instead of location data. Bunting explains how iPhone logs, unified logs, and FSEvents exposed a hidden “quiet time” window tied to the Delaware homicide, even when the original reader report showed nothing useful. He also breaks down why Apple location tiles only suggest a general area, why airplane mode is not the same as powering off a phone, and how a simple Python script can reveal patterns across millions of log entries.

What You’ll learn:
Why “nothing” can be the strongest digital clue
How power-off gaps show up in iPhone logs
Why location data can be misleading in court
How to spot quiet time in noisy forensic data
Why critical thinking matters more than button-pushing

Download the tool and start finding nothing today
https://buntingdigitalforensics.us/tools/fsevents-gap-finder/

Read More About the Case
https://buntingdigitalforensics.us/insights/the-art-of-hunting-for-nothing/

Books written by Steve Bunting
https://buntingdigitalforensics.us/publications/

Deepfakes are everywhere, and determining the Provenance of digital evidence is more important and challenging than ever before. Lars Daniel joins us to discuss the steps digital forensic examiners can take in their next case.

Special Guest: Lars Daniel

Connect with Lars:
⁠https://www.thelarsdaniel.com/⁠
⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/larsdaniel/⁠

Support the podcast ⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/parsingthetruth⁠⁠⁠
About this Episode
Stacy Eldridge and Becky Passmore talk with Lars about the growing risk of AI generated evidence, why screenshots and consumer device media are increasingly unreliable on their own, and why provenance now has to be treated as a core evidentiary issue.The conversation focuses on how examiners, attorneys, judges, insurers, and law enforcement can respond before fake media becomes routine in litigation and investigations.

Key topics
In this episode, Lars explains how his work in trucking and accident investigations led him into the deeper problem of AI manipulated media and digital evidence triage.
He breaks down the practical categories he uses with counsel and claims professionals:
He describes the business case for a layered review process: automated screening, human review, then a digital forensics expert when litigation is possible.
The discussion emphasizes that the best way to prove authenticity is still to return to the original device and source evidence whenever possible.
Lars warns that consumer device evidence often arrives with weak or no provenance, unlike enterprise systems that may have stronger built in controls.
The hosts and Lars discuss how deep fake claims may become a litigation tactic, forcing the other side to spend time and money disproving authenticity even when the evidence is real.
He explains the liar’s dividend and why it can be used not just as a defense, but as a strategy to raise costs and create uncertainty.
A recent civil case example shows how a manipulated video, including added water to suggest a slip and fall, was initially treated as real until deeper analysis raised questions.
Lars stresses that examiners need to stay in their lane, know when to refer specialized work, and avoid claiming expertise across every digital forensics niche.

Listeners will learn
How deep fakes, shallow fakes, and enhancement differ
Why screenshots are no longer enough to trust digital evidence
How to build a layered authenticity review process
Why provenance matters in legal and investigative settings
When to return to the original device for verification

Part 2: We continue the conversation with Jessica Hyde regarding the Daubert Standard, AI, and Peer Reviews.
Special Guest: Jessica Hyde, Hexordia

Support the podcast ⁠https://patreon.com/parsingthetruth⁠

Detailed Summary of Part 2:
In this episode, we explore the critical intersection of digital forensics, legal standards, and artificial intelligence. Jessica Hyde shares her expert insights on the importance of proper testing, validation, peer review, and the evolving standards that govern forensic evidence in court.

Key topics in Part 2:
The fundamentals of the Daubert standard for admissible scientific evidence
How digital forensics tools and methodologies meet (or don’t meet) Daubert criteria
Challenges introduced by AI and machine learning models in forensic analysis
The critical role of peer review, including internal lab processes and community validation
The importance of independent testing and error rate assessment for evidence reliability
Upcoming legislative and regulatory efforts around AI in forensic evidence
Practical steps for examiners to prepare for Daubert challenges and improve credibility

This episode emphasizes that sound scientific methodology, rigorous peer review, and validation are the backbone of credible digital forensic testimony.

Links:
The Daubert Standard ⁠https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/daubert_standard⁠
Rule 702 ⁠https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_702⁠
NIST Foundations document ⁠https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2022/NIST.IR.8354.pdf⁠
NIST OSAC Guidelines for Dataset Development ⁠https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2026/01/16/OSAC-DE-Guidelines%20for%20Dataset%20Development.pdf⁠
DFIR Review ⁠https://dfir.pubpub.org/⁠
Upcoming work from SWGDE in this area including the draft Quality Management System ⁠https://www.swgde.org/25-q-001-draft/⁠
Hexordia Creating Mobile Text Data FREE Online Class ⁠https://learn.hexordia.com/courses/Creating-Mobile-Test-Data-66eae235a2b4ef2d6b79cef3⁠
Hexordia FREE Mobile Peer Review Checklist ⁠https://www.hexordia.com/blog/gc0vnvj80ogwx724ovu7avzwvjl742?rq=peer%20review⁠
Rule 707 Regarding AI ⁠https://www.purduegloballawschool.edu/blog/news/ai-generated-materials-federal-rules-evidence ⁠
Connect with Jessica Hyde on LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hydejessica/⁠
Connect with Hexordia on Twitter ⁠https://x.com/hexordia⁠

Jessica Hyde joins us to explain what you need to know about Daubert to help you ensure your evidence doesn't get tossed in your next big case. We'll also discuss a new proposed rule of evidence regarding AI.

Special Guest: Jessica Hyde, Hexordia

Support the podcast https://patreon.com/parsingthetruth

Detailed Summary of Part 1:
In this episode, we explore the critical intersection of digital forensics, legal standards, and artificial intelligence. Jessica Hyde shares her expert insights on the importance of proper testing, validation, peer review, and the evolving standards that govern forensic evidence in court.
Key topics:
The Daubert standard: what it is and why it matters for forensic evidence
Five Daubert factors: testing, peer review, error rates, standards, and general acceptance
Challenges of using black box AI tools and generative models in forensic analysis
Why clicking 'export report' without validation is a legal liability
The upcoming Federal Rule of Evidence 707 and its impact on AI-generated evidence
The importance of independent testing, standardization, and peer review in court readiness
Nightmare scenarios: when evidence fails Daubert criteria, leading to inadmissibility
The role of certification, experience, and standardization for digital forensic examiners
How practitioners can proactively prepare for Daubert challenges and legislative changes
Practical steps for conducting rigorous testing and peer review of forensic artifacts

This episode emphasizes that sound scientific methodology, rigorous peer review, and validation are the backbone of credible digital forensic testimony.

Links:
The Daubert Standard https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/daubert_standard
Rule 702 https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_702
NIST Foundations document https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2022/NIST.IR.8354.pdf
NIST OSAC Guidelines for Dataset Development https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2026/01/16/OSAC-DE-Guidelines%20for%20Dataset%20Development.pdf
DFIR Review https://dfir.pubpub.org/
Upcoming work from SWGDE in this area including the draft Quality Management System https://www.swgde.org/25-q-001-draft/
Hexordia Creating Mobile Text Data FREE Online Class https://learn.hexordia.com/courses/Creating-Mobile-Test-Data-66eae235a2b4ef2d6b79cef3
Hexordia FREE Mobile Peer Review Checklist https://www.hexordia.com/blog/gc0vnvj80ogwx724ovu7avzwvjl742?rq=peer%20review
Rule 707 Regarding AI https://www.purduegloballawschool.edu/blog/news/ai-generated-materials-federal-rules-evidence
Connect with Jessica Hyde on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hydejessica/
Connect with Hexordia on Twitter https://x.com/hexordia

This episode with Brett Shavers explores why the most important skill in digital forensics is an investigative mindset—using critical thinking, legal authority, and objective analysis to follow the evidence, avoid bias, and tell a clear story from the data.More about this episode:In this episode of Parsing the Truth One Bite at a Time, Stacey Eldridge and Becky Passmore sit down with digital forensics expert Brett Shavers to explore what really separates strong examiners from great investigators. Rather than focusing only on tools and software, the conversation dives into the investigative mindset, critical thinking, confirmation bias, legal authority, and how to build defensible conclusions from digital evidence.

Listeners will learn why forensic tools are only a means to an end, how to challenge assumptions during an examination, and why clear communication is just as important as technical skill. Brett also shares practical insights on AI in digital forensics, explaining where it can help, where it can mislead, and why human judgment still matters. Whether you work in digital forensics, teach the subject, or want to understand how investigations are built from evidence, this episode offers actionable lessons you can use immediately.

Connect with Brett Shavers Online
⁠https://www.dfir.training/about-brett-shavers⁠
⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettshavers/⁠
Grow your Investigative Mindset with Brett Shavers Books
⁠https://brettshavers.com/my-books⁠

Support the Podcast
⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/ParsingtheTruth⁠

Get Parsing the Truth Swag and Merch
⁠https://parsing-the-truth.printify.me/⁠