FBI agrees to unlock iPhone, iPod in Arkansas homicide case

The FBI agreed to help an Arkansas prosecutor unlock an iPhone and iPod belonging to two teenagers accused of killing a couple, just days after the federal agency announced it had gained access to an iPhone linked to the gunman in a mass shooting in California. Faulkner County Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland said the FBI agreed to the request from his office and the Conway Police Department on March 30. A judge on March 29 agreed to postpone the trial of 18-year-old Hunter Drexler so prosecutors could ask the FBI for help.

The FBI announced that it had gained access to an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, who died with his wife in a gun battle with police after they killed 14 people in San Bernardino (CA) in December. The FBI hasn't revealed how it cracked Farook's iPhone. Authorities also haven't said whether the iPhone and iPod in the Arkansas case are the same models or whether the FBI will use the same method to try to get into the devices. Hiland said he could not discuss details of the murder case in Arkansas, but confirmed the FBI had agreed less than a day after the initial request. The move indicates the FBI may be able to use a recently discovered vulnerability to widely access secure iPhones in police custody.