A potential evidence leak concerning the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi, Indiana could complicate the 2024 trial of accused killer, Richard Allen. This development, as uncovered by “The Murder Sheet” podcast and subsequently confirmed by FOX59, revolves around the alleged dissemination of sensitive crime scene details on social media.
Special Judge Fran Gull of Allen County recently scheduled a hearing for October 19 to discuss these emerging issues, hinting at the potential disclosure of Delphi crime scene evidence items across social media channels. It’s noteworthy that Richard Allen was only arrested and charged with the said crimes a year ago.
Previously, Judge Gull imposed a gag order on all parties after Allen’s attorneys, Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi, criticized the case against their client in a press release. The order intended to confine the debate of Allen’s guilt to the courtroom.
However, an inadvertent evidence leak appeared on social media this past spring. Baldwin and Rozzi accepted responsibility, leading to a judicial admonishment about guarding the State’s discovery documents. Additionally, recent defense filings accusing the State of withholding evidence and misleading the original judge met with sharp criticism from Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland.
Recently, discussions on social media have indicated intimate knowledge of the defense’s strategy and evidence. Podcasters Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain, of “The Murder Sheet”, were informed of these evidentiary items on October 5. Subsequent investigations revealed that one of the persons involved in the leak had professional ties with Baldwin.
A review of Facebook messages indicated discussions about the leaked information, including references to the defense obtaining phone records and other claims that might be beneficial for Allen’s case. Greenlee and Cain shared that they deleted the files after discussing their findings with Indiana State Police, urging social media users to refrain from sharing or elaborating on the evidence.
Indiana State Police initiated their probe into the leak last week. Interestingly, a person implicated in the social media discussions about the leak passed away unexpectedly after the investigation began.
Attempts to solicit comments from Allen’s defense have been unsuccessful due to the existing gag order. Legal experts posit that the magnitude of this leak, considering Judge Gull’s previous directives, might prompt a court warning or even a dismissal and reappointment of Allen’s defense team, likely postponing his January 8, 2024, trial.
Judge Gull remains undecided on requests for media camera presence during the trial and a motion by the defense to invalidate the search warrant executed on Allen’s residence last year, where investigators reportedly discovered a firearm linked to the crime scene.
