CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — Amongst hundreds of pages of documents filed with the Indiana Supreme Court are copies of an email chain that confirm the death of an individual involved in leaking sensitive Delphi murders crime scene evidence to online groups.
Buried in a 240-page filing are copies of email exchanges between Judge Frances Gull, Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland and Richard Allen’s original defense team of Brad Rozzi and Andrew J. Baldwin.
According to previous reports and an email from McLeland, defense attorney Andy Baldwin informed the judge and the Carroll County prosecutor on Oct. 10 that his former employee had gone into his office sometime in August and taken pictures of sensitive crime scene evidence related to the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi in February of 2017.
This former associate then forwarded this sensitive information to a Fishers man who was employed at the Fort Wayne U.S. Air Force Base. This individual is accused of forwarding the information on further where it was eventually made public on online groups and “content creators” that followed the Delphi murders case.
In an email written by McLeland just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 12, the Carroll County prosecutor informs the judge and Allen’s defense team that Indiana State Police investigators went to the Fishers man’s home to obtain information about the evidence leak.
The Fishers man reportedly refused to answer any of the police officer’s questions and said he wanted an attorney. Not long after this encounter, the Fishers man reportedly took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“This is getting serious and way out of control, gentlemen,” McLeland said, informing the judge and Allen’s defense team that the Fishers man had been married and had a child.
The accused leaker had reportedly been “worried sick” after police arrived at his home, according to information given to McLeland and relayed in the email chain.
McLeland ended his email by pleading with the defense team to come forward if they have any additional information about the evidence leak, calling the Fishers man’s death “the latest in bizarre twists in this case.”
“I do not want to get another phone call like this,” McLeland said, citing his worry for the other individuals, including Baldwin’s former employee, involved in the evidence leak.
Also mentioned in the email chain were defense attorney Rozzi’s concerns that a “local content creator” had obtained copies of crime scene photos as part of the evidence leak.
Judge Gull stated in an email that “local content creators are not journalists and have no right to claim any type of privilege.” She wrote that if the content creators would not divulge how they had obtained the evidence or return the photographs to police, she would issue an order that would result in their arrests if they failed to obey.
“This is a drastic measure I should not have to take but will if necessary,” Gull wrote.
The news of the leaked evidence ended up leading to Gull calling a hearing on Oct. 19. At the hearing, Gull announced that Andrew Baldwin had orally announced his intention to withdraw from the case. She said Rozzi would also be withdrawing in the coming days.
Both Baldwin and Rozzi have since fought against this portrayal, claiming they were “coerced” by the judge but never filed to withdraw from the case. Gull has since assigned a new defense team for Allen with Rozzi recently filing for Gull to be removed from the case for overstepping her authority.
On Monday, Richard Allen asked the Indiana Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter.