LAST WEEK, the tragic news surrounding the killing of a Dallas-based Saint Lucian in his own apartment, by a downstairs neighbour, left much to be desired.
The circumstances resulting in Botham Jean’s death are as appalling as they are unsatisfactory.
By several accounts, despite being a well-respected and well-integrated young man, this son of the soil was unfortunately gunned down by an intruder.
An intruder claimed to have mistakenly entered the wrong apartment, despite several missed clues of her whereabouts.
According to the affidavit of Jean’s killer, she entered the room after inserting her unique electronic key into the keyhole.
On entering the nearly completely dark apartment, she ‘issued commands’ that were ignored by the presumed burglar who presented a ‘large silhouette’.
She fired shots in the ‘interior darkness’ of the apartment that resulted in Jean’s death.
Since dead men tell no tales, we rely on the testimony of eye witnesses and others to establish the facts.
In our homes and on our bodies, we have some remarkable technology items that could also bear witness at times like this.
The smartwatch on your wrist can measure your pulse and record your heartbeat. If available, that information could be used to yield clues about your location, steps taken, and respiration rate.
The smartphones which we carry are similarly able to so detect our location and movements.
In-home technology, including intelligent virtual assistants (think Amazon Alexa, or Google Home) are always listening to respond to voice commands. Could these high-tech devices be queried to unearth the fateful interactions that might have occurred?
Even interactions with your computer and laptop may help establish your presence and interests.
Finally, since the doors of Jean’s apartment complex required a smart key to gain access, perhaps that system could determine whether any doors were left open.
There are many questions that technology iWitnesses could help us answer, to help understand why this remarkable individual lost his life — and the country lost a valued ambassador.
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To share your views, contact the author at: www.datashore.net or via The Voice.
About the Author
Dr. Lyndell St. Ville is an ICT Consultant based in Saint Lucia. His expertise includes systems analysis, design, and capacity building.