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PODCASTERS who alerted authorities to a massive leak of crime scene photos from the Delphi murders have called the scandal a “terrible disaster” that will likely cause the victims’ families yet more pain and anguish.
Aine Cane and Kevin Greenlee, hosts of The Murder Sheet, received an email on October 5 from a source – identified only as “Mark” – who sent them seven graphic images depicting the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
The two eighth graders were found dead near an abandoned railroad in Delphi, Indiana, on Valentine’s Day 2017.
For years, the causes of the girls’ deaths were kept a secret from the public as law enforcement carried out a years-long search for their killer, fueling rampant conspiracy online.
Richard Allen, a local CVS worker, was arrested last October and charged with murdering the girls when an unspent bullet found between their bodies was allegedly discovered to have been cycled through a handgun he owns.
Allen also placed himself at the scene of the crime on the day the murders took place in various interviews with police, legal documents show, but he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His attorneys, Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi, sensationally alleged in a bombshell memorandum filed last month that Libby and Abby were killed as part of a ritualistic sacrifice carried out by a group of local men who are all purportedly members of a Nordic cult and unknown to Allen.
The state has strongly condemned the defense’s allegations and decision to file the memorandum, calling their remarks “sensationalist,” unprofessional, and lacking “in any factual basis.”
And now, Allen’s legal team is being investigated by Indiana State Police (ISP) following a series of leaks that includes images from the crime scene.
All discovery evidence in the case is under a strict protective order, meaning it must not be shared with the public under any circumstances.
However, in the early hours of October 5, Cain and Greenlee received seven images depicting the murders of Libby and Abby from a source called “Mark” who informed them that he’d been sent the photos by a second individual.
Cain and Greenlee meticulously retraced the path of the leak and were able to identify the persons they believe to be associated with sharing the prohibited images.
One of the persons allegedly involved was identified as a former professional associate of Allen’s attorney Andrew Baldwin, the couple told The U.S. Sun.
There is no evidence to suggest either Baldwin or Rozzi is directly involved in the leak, they stressed, and ISP is currently probing precisely how the images came to light.
Local news outlet Fox59 has conducted its own investigation into the leak and linked the breach to the same former Baldwin associate.
Cain and Greenlee called the leak a “catastrophic” development that could have wide-ranging implications on Richard Allen’s forthcoming murder trial, which is slated to begin in January 2024.
“This is a terrible, terrible disaster, honestly,” said Cain.
“Very early in the morning, we received a number of images that we realized very, very quickly were crime scene photographs – graphic crime scene photographs – in the Delphi murders case.
“When the sun came up, we reached out to law enforcement to let them know that there had been a catastrophic breach in the case of discovery materials.
“We also contacted the defense and the state because we wanted both sides to have that information, and at that time we didn’t know where the breach had come from.
“The person who sent us the photos was not the original leaker […] eventually we were able to determine the leak came from somebody who is connected to the defense.”
Cain and Greenlee declined to share what Allen’s attorneys said in their response to the shocking discovery, though Baldwin and Rozzi reportedly acknowledged the leak directly.
The images were incredibly graphic in their nature, Greenlee said, and their authenticity was clear from the very first glance.
“It was apparent, from just taking a first look at them, that they were real and that was later confirmed by investigators,” he said.
“This is not how our court system is supposed to work,” added Cain.
“Richard Allen has not had a trial yet. He is innocent until proven guilty. And the idea that people are putting out images that could incent the public against him is just totally counter to what should be happening here.”
‘THEY DESERVE BETTER’
Cain and Greenlee deleted all of the images from their devices after speaking with investigators.
Troublingly though, they say the scale of the leak appears to be widespread, with other podcasters, content creators, and curious members of the public also now in possession of the disturbing images.
They urged anyone who has the photos to delete them, or at the very least show restraint and not disseminate the evidence or discuss it in detail.
On some level, it just feels like this case is just a never-ending tragedy, and these girls and their families deserve so much better.
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Aine Cain
“We’re aware of a number of other people who either research this case or are creators of some type who received the images,” said Cain.
“And we just hope that they do the right thing and, you know, cooperate with the investigation into the leak and also, you know, delete them off their phone.
“Because this stuff doesn’t need to be out there, that families don’t need to be worried every time they log in to social media they’re gonna see something.
“And it doesn’t help because none of us are crime scene experts. So I mean, it’s just needless speculation; it doesn’t actually improve the public’s understanding of the case in any way.”
With an investigation into the leak firmly underway, Cain said there is a multitude of options the presiding judge has at their disposal to attempt to remedy the situation.
Those options range from a simple reprimand, to Allen’s attorney’s being removed from the case, to even possible contempt of court charges filed against those who leaked or disseminated the photos and other items of evidence.
“I would hope this would prompt some soul searching for those people who cover the case and – though I think it’s a good thing to be curious, and in lots of ways the public’s curiosity kept law enforcement accountable – I don’t think anyone’s curiosity should trump human decency and Richard Allen’s constitutional rights,” Cain continued.
“So there are limits to that morbid curiosity that I hope people understand.”
Greenlee and Cain have been following and reporting on the Delphi case for several years on The Murder Sheet.
Cain said it was devastating to see the brutality of the crime scene firsthand, though she recognized anything she feels now would pale in comparison to what Libby and Abby’s families would experience if they saw the same images plastered across social media.
“On some level, it just feels like this case is just a never-ending tragedy, and these girls and their families deserve so much better,” she said.
“They deserve to be alive now and they certainly deserve the utmost respect and sensitivity in death, with how we talk about and cover this case.
“I just feel so bad for these families and I just can’t get them out of my mind.
“It’s been pretty devastating, to be honest […] and I just imagine this is an inkling of what the families are currently feeling – fear and anguish – as a mob of people try to obtain these photos online.
“It’s been rough and we just really feel for everyone involved in this situation.”
PROLONGED SUFFERING
Making matters worse for the families of Libby German and Abigail Williams is the prospect that Richard Allen’s trial could be subject to a significant delay, in light of the evidence leak.
Greenlee explained that if the presiding judge decides to remove Allen’s attorneys from the case, it could cause a considerable delay of months or even years until a suitable replacement can be appointed and Allen’s case rebuilt.
“The new defense attorneys will need to take a lot of time to familiarize themselves with this case,” he said, “and then to formulate their own strategies, because there’s a great chance the new defense attorneys would not want to just reuse the strategies and plans of this particular team.
“There’s going to be a delay in the trial if there’s a switch at the defense.”
As for how long that delay will be remains to be seen.
However, Cain believes any replacement will want to act fast as Allen is currently housed in a maximum security prison, Westville Correctional Facility, while he awaits trial in an exceedingly rare measure.
“Hopefully this will motivate them to work at least at some speed,” said Cain.
“Richard Allen is a constitutionally innocent man who’s currently incarcerated in Westville prison and that is a pretty serious state of affairs.
“And so I would hope that even if they were the attorneys who were replaced, that the new defense team would work to deal with that as quickly as possible if they feel like he’s an innocent man.
“His rights here are a concern. And I hope that comes into practice so we don’t, although I guess it could be years, I hope we don’t get into a situation where that happens.”
Allen’s murder trial was due to go ahead on January 8 next year.
He will appear in the Allen County Courthouse on October 19 for a recently announced hearing.
According to the court, the purpose of the proceeding is to discuss an upcoming October 31 hearing and “other matters which have recently arisen.”
It’s believed the leak will be addressed by the judge during the hearing and appropriate action taken.
Allen’s attorneys could not be reached for comment.
