In a recent development, an Indiana man, Mitchell Westerman, aged 41, has been apprehended and charged for allegedly disclosing confidential evidence related to the Delphi murders case to a true crime podcast.
The charges include one count of conversion, a term equivalent to theft in common law, specifically for the unauthorized dissemination of sensitive crime scene photos—a class A misdemeanor.
The repercussions of this disclosure have led to ongoing turmoil in the already tense and challenging cold case murder prosecution.
A concise one-page charging document from Law&Crime asserts that Westerman exerted unauthorized control over the property of a former defense attorney, Andrew Baldwin, who initially represented the accused murderer, Richard Allen, aged 50.
Although Baldwin no longer represents Allen, he is actively seeking to rejoin the case, currently appealing to Indiana's highest court. Simultaneously, Baldwin is attempting to have the overseeing judge removed.
Special Judge Fran C. Gull contends that Baldwin and another former attorney voluntarily withdrew after the leak. However, Baldwin and his associate claim they were coerced by the judge under the threat of public shaming.
Baldwin and his colleague, Brad Rozzi, have offered to continue as defense attorneys without charge. Legal experts argue that their removal violated the defendant's rights. The leak incident occurred on Oct. 5, with Westerman, a former employee in Baldwin's office, taking photographs of evidence spread out on a conference room table without permission.
Westerman allegedly sent these photos to an individual in Fishers, Indiana, who later shared them with a true crime podcaster, resulting in the widespread dissemination of the images on YouTube. The person in Fishers, questioned by the police over the leak, tragically took his own life soon after.
The lead prosecutor in the case expressed concern about the severity and uncontrollable nature of the situation, noting that the individual who committed suicide was married and had a child.
The charging document, unsealed by Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay, provides additional details about the theft, stating that Westerman took pictures without permission in Baldwin's absence.
This incident adds another layer of complexity to the underlying case involving the tragic deaths of 14-year-old Liberty "Libby" German and 13-year-old Abigail "Abby" Williams in Delphi, Indiana, on Feb. 13, 2017. The girls were abducted and murdered while walking the Monon High Bridge Trail. The accused, Richard Allen, arrested on Oct. 28, 2022, maintains his innocence.
Comments
Post a Comment