REUTERS/Peter Hobson
Police in Bentonville, Arkansas have requested data from an Amazon Echo device in hopes that it can help solve a hot-tub murder case. Authorities issued a warrant seeking audio from the device, which belongs to James Andrew Bates, the suspect in the first-degree murder of Victor Collins. Amazon provided Bates' account details but not the information that the device reportedly logged on its servers. Police have so far pulled data off of the speaker, but it isn't yet clear how much information they were able to access. Bates' attorney, however, took issue with the warrant. She reportedly argues that requesting such information off of smart devices in private homes is an invasion. "You have an expectation of privacy in your home, and I have a big problem that law enforcement can use the technology that advances our quality of life against us," lawyer Kimberly Webersaid. Bates reportedly possesses multiple smart home devices, many of which police have collected information from. Since Collins was found dead in Bates' hot tub, police also requested records from his “smart” water meter. The technology allegedly shows that 140 gallons of water were used in the early morning hours on the day Collins was found. Investigators are alleging that the massive amount of water was used to wash away evidence of whatever occurred on the patio.