I wonder if computer forensics could determine if parts of a server’s hard drives were erased. That would show if emails stored in memory were deleted. I bet that is possible, and that the deleted files may still be on the server. Deletion, if I understand correctly, only destroys the link to the saved file in the file directory. When the space is later needed, it is overwritten; if not needed, it is still there but “delinked.” Ironic if the Nixon 18 minute gap replays in this context. Yeah, wishful thinking that hasn’t been taken care of already.
There are plenty of programs around to overwrite magnetic HDs multiple times to preclude resurrecting the data.
The truth will come out. It always does!