When unexpected people start coming forward with new evidence—documents, messages, photos, devices, witness accounts—the safest and most responsible response is:
1. Hand it directly to authorities
Give it to:
- Guardia Civil
- local police
- a solicitor/lawyer who can transfer it properly
- relevant safeguarding or investigative authorities
That protects chain of custody.
2. Do not investigate it yourself
The instinct is often:
- “Who sent this?”
- “What does it mean?”
- “Let me look deeper.”
But that can create problems:
- accidental evidence contamination
- altering metadata (opening files can change timestamps)
- alerting suspects
- putting yourself at risk
Curiosity can unintentionally damage a case.
3. Do not tamper with evidence
Avoid:
- editing screenshots
- forwarding repeatedly
- renaming files
- plugging devices in “just to check”
- deleting anything
Even well-meaning handling can complicate forensic analysis.
4. Preserve what you received
Do:
- keep original messages/emails
- note when/how it arrived
- keep devices powered state unchanged if possible (ask police first)
- save voicemails/texts exactly as-is
Simple notes like:
“Received on Tuesday at 10:42 from unknown number”
can help investigators.
5. Let investigators investigate
Once authorities have it, the process moves to:
- evidence triage
- forensic examination
- witness interviews
- legal authorizations if needed
That’s their role—not yours.
Psychologically this can be hard because humans want closure and answers.
But in these situations, restraint is often the most helpful act:
don’t chase the truth—protect it.
That gives investigators the best chance of finding out what’s really going on.