Technology

Family of FIU Student Alexa Duran, Who Was Killed in Bridge Collapse, Wants iPhone Unlocked

"My daughter’s body came back as flat and thin as a cracker but her iPhone survived without a single scratch,” Gina Duran said

The family of the youngest victim of the bridge collapse near Florida International University is hoping her phone can help shed some light on her final days and give them a sense of closure, but so far they've been unable to unlock the device.

Alexa Duran was among the six people killed in the March 15 collapse of the pedestrian bridge, with her iPhone 6 among the 18-year-old's only possessions to be recovered from the wreckage relatively undamaged.

"My daughter’s body came back as flat and thin as a cracker but her iPhone survived without a single scratch,” Gina Duran told the Miami Herald.

The FIU freshman had her thumbprint set as her password, with a six-digit pin code as the backup. Family members and friends have tried to guess the pin but were unsuccessful. They also tried to figure out her Apple ID password but after reaching the maximum number of failed attempts, the phone locked itself, the Herald reported.

A local independent technology company was also unable to hack into the phone. Apple requires a court order, a death certificate and proof that whoever is trying to get into the phone is the trustee of her estate, which the family is working to provide.

Apple doesn't keep pass codes, thumbprints or face recognition data, but can access iCloud with a court order. The Duran family said they are waiting to hear back from the company.

"I can't lose it. I can't lose what's in there, just in case one day we can get it to open," Gina Duran said.

Duran's parents also filed a lawsuit last month against several different defendants, including the two main firms involved in the bridge project. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the collapse.

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