University student's phone linked to 'device deletion' after disappearance

A new expert opinion submitted to the investigation file of Rojin Kabaiş, a university student who disappeared on September 27, 2024, and was found dead 18 days later, has revealed a significant development: a "device deletion" record on her associated Google account. The report examined activity logs from Xiaomi, provided by the company regarding Kabaiş's mobile phone and its linked accounts.

The expert opinion states that records show access to Kabaiş's Google account, linked to her phone, after her disappearance. Subsequently, a "device deletion" operation was performed. This finding is crucial as it suggests activity on her digital accounts occurred after she went missing.

Kabaiş, a first-year student, disappeared after evening dinner from her dormitory on September 27. Her phone, wallet, and other belongings were found on the campus shore. A search began the next day, and her headscarf was discovered on the shores of Van Lake 13 days later. Her body was found 18 days after her disappearance, also on the Van Lake shore.

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The records indicate that access was gained to the Google account linked to the phone via an SMS sent to the device from an IP address.

Her mobile phone became a key piece of evidence, with extensive technical efforts undertaken to access its data. The phone was sent to Spain in February through the Ministry of Justice's initiatives, but the device's lock could not be opened, and data remained inaccessible. Following the unsuccessful attempt in Spain, investigations continued. The phone was then sent to China on April 30 for specialized technical examination by teams from the Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Van Police Department's Cybercrime Branch. A six-page technical report from China also stated that access to the phone could not be achieved. The report warned that certain interventions on the device could lead to the complete deletion of its software and data.

Despite the inability to access the phone itself, the new expert opinion highlights striking operations in the activity records of linked accounts. According to the opinion, four days after Kabaiş went missing, on October 1, 2024, an IP address accessed her Google account via an SMS sent to her phone. This record is a significant finding, indicating that actions were taken on her linked account after her disappearance. Another record from October 10, 2024, shows a "Delete Device" command within her Google account.

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A 'Delete Device' record was created in the Google account.