OK. That is possible.
Now... what in the world could be on that government owned phone that would magically enable the FBI to 'solve the case' ?
Are we to believe that there are no video cameras anywhere around a government building ? Are we to believe that there are witnesses who describe a 3rd shooter, and yet the FBI says there is not, unless they can get to what's on the phone ?
Why were the couple not fleeing the area ? They obviously didn't want to die, or they would never have left the building where the shootings took place.
They are controlling the information (just like they tried to do with the iphone) so that the facts are what they say they are, and missteps are not able to be exposed by outside parties. Look how long it took them to admit they made the data impossible to retrieve?
They first blamed it on San bernadino IT staff (implying a larger conspiracy), then when apple exposed how exactly the data was locked up, they still stonewalled until it would have required perjury to keep their incompetence hidden.
No these guys cannot be trusted with anything important. Let them set up stings, recruit hapless wannabe jihadis with fake isis handlers. I guess that is more their speed....they only need to be slightly less incompetent than those they frame.
No way does the FBI get anything important. Not if we can prevent it.