"Claimed He Was Streaming in a Santa Hat During the Time of the Crime"
Played a Pre-Recorded Video Made Before the Incident
Digital Forensics Exposed the Fabrication
A man in his 30s in the United Kingdom, a YouTuber who has been put on trial on charges of murdering his girlfriend, admitted in court that he had broadcast a pre-recorded video as if it were a live stream on the day of the crime in order to create an alibi.
On February 27, Yonhap News TV reported, citing local outlets including the BBC and Irish News, that the YouTuber on trial for allegedly killing his girlfriend has admitted to having streamed a pre-recorded video as if it were live in order to fabricate an alibi for the day of the crime.
Previously, around December 2022, a YouTuber in his mid-30s, Steven Mccaller (36), who was living in the Northern Ireland region, was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend. His girlfriend, Natalie Mcnally, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time, was found dead at her home. The victim had suffered severe trauma, including stab and incised wounds, bruises, abrasions, signs of strangulation, and bleeding around the brain.
McCaller, who was arrested immediately after the incident, reportedly reacted by saying, "Murder? Why?" and has consistently claimed innocence even after being indicted. In particular, he presented as his alibi that on December 18, the day of the incident, he had been running a live gaming broadcast on YouTube from 6 p.m. until midnight, arguing that he was therefore not at the scene at the estimated time of the killing.
However, a digital forensic analysis revealed that the video in question was actually a file recorded several days before the incident. In the footage, he is seen wearing a Santa hat and playing a game, saying things like, "I don't know why, but I can't see the live chat," and "You guys just chat among yourselves." He also mentions, "I'm not going out tonight." Prosecutors are focusing on the fact that, right before he started playing the broadcast, McCaller sent the victim a message saying he was going to "do streaming all night," to which she replied, "Good luck." Prosecutors believe that after setting the pre-recorded video to play, he went to the victim's home and committed the crime.
This case has drawn attention as an example of an attempt to fabricate a criminal alibi using digital content. In the past, there have been cases where suspects tried to deceive investigators about the time of the crime by using location-spoofing applications, scheduled posts, or automatic upload functions, only to be exposed through forensic analysis. However, because online activity logs, IP access information, and file creation and modification times can be examined in detail, tampering with them is difficult and ultimately led to their detection. The court plans to continue the trial based on the relevant evidence and expert forensic opinions.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
