UPDATE: Family Finds Cell Phone, Now Hopes to Extract Pics

By Josh Hinkle, Anchor/Reporter

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Feb 2, 2009 at 11:31 AM CST

Story Updated: Feb 2, 2009 at 1:58 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - As first reported on KCRG-TV9 News on Saturday, the Griffith family from Mechanicsville found the cell phone containing the last photos taken of its youngest member, 23-year-old Noel Griffith. Noel died in a December 2008 car accident near Tipton, two days after the birthday party where his sister, Mandy Weber, took those photos. His brother, 29-year-old SSG Donald Griffith, Jr., died four years ago in an insurgent attack in Iraq.

While spreading the word about the older Griffith brother’s upcoming memorial event in Cedar Rapids last week, Weber lost the cell phone. Minutes after the original story aired on KCRG-TV9, Weber received a call from a woman who found her phone in the Stuff, Etc. parking lot on Blairs Ferry Rd. It appeared that a car had driven over the phone, so Weber wasn’t certain she would ever be able to see the photos again.

Weber took her phone to iWireless, where workers weren’t sure even the manufacturer could help. They suggested a repair “genius,” Vernon McCrary, at Wireless Solutions in Cedar Rapids. Weber took a break from work Monday morning, rushing to see if McCrary could help.

A TV9 crew met Weber at McCrary’s shop. McCrary hopes to extract the data from the phone early this week, at which point he will call Weber with the news. Watch KCRG-TV9 News this week to find out if Weber and the Griffith family will get their photos and their memories back. Look for updates on kcrg.com.

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