Judge Scrutinizes FBI Cell Phone Data in Murder Case
A Washington court weighs the reliability of FBI location technology ahead of final arguments in a homicide trial.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Violence
Judge Michael Ryan presided over a pre-trial hearing in DC Superior Court to evaluate the accuracy of FBI cell phone location methodology in the murder case of Terrance Stoney. Stoney is accused of killing 43-year-old Donte Tiller in a 2023 shooting.
Why it matters
The hearing centers on whether FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team data, which tracks signal hand-offs and propagation, is reliable enough to be used as evidence in court. Attorneys are debating the accuracy of these techniques, which are crucial for placing suspects at crime scenes.
Terrance Stoney faces charges including second-degree murder while armed and firearm possession for the death of Donte Tiller. The court has set November 13 for final arguments in the matter.
The players
Michael Ryan
He is a judge at the DC Superior Court who is overseeing the pre-trial proceedings for this murder case.
Terrance Stoney
He is the 33-year-old defendant currently facing charges of second-degree murder while armed.
Donte Tiller
He was a 43-year-old victim who died from a single gunshot wound.
Jessica Willis
She is the defense attorney representing the accused in the murder trial.
The details
Defense attorney Jessica Willis challenged the FBI agent by citing a 2023 Florida drive-test study to question technical phenomena like multipathing and rear-lobe propagation. These terms describe how wireless signals split or interact with cell towers in ways that can complicate location tracking.
Timeline
March 17, 2023: The shooting occurred at Naylor Road and Southern Avenue.
2023: A drive-test study was conducted in Florida.
October 26, 2026: The pre-trial hearing took place in DC Superior Court.
November 13, 2026: Final arguments are scheduled to occur.
Legal Context
The court's scrutiny of forensic methodologies follows the Daubert standard for scientific evidence. This hearing follows the pattern set by the Daubert standard in requiring judges to gatekeep the reliability of expert forensic evidence.
This case highlights the ongoing judicial scrutiny of digital forensics used by law enforcement in local homicide investigations. Residents should be aware that the outcomes of these hearings can set new standards for how evidence is handled in future criminal trials within the city.
The takeaway
The reliability of mobile network tracking remains a focal point in criminal litigation as digital evidence becomes increasingly common. Legal experts emphasize that technical verification, such as drive-testing, is essential for challenging the findings presented by law enforcement agencies.
What happens next
Final arguments are scheduled to occur on November 13, 2026.
Further reading
For more information on legal proceedings, see the Washington Violence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dcwitness.
