Thread by @BobSegallWTHR

If you are new to this thread, every night of the #Delphi murders trial, I’ll be posting about what I observed inside the courtroom. Here we go with the Day 3 edition. Lots to share from a tough day in the Carroll Co courtroom…

13 Things To Know From The Delphi Murders Trial Today - Oct 21 🧵

1. I spoke to one of the victims’ relatives Sat after court. The families had just had a private viewing of the crime scene photos. Seeing the graphic pics was devastating but helped prep them for today. #wthr

2. Today was the day jurors got their 1st look at dozens of bloody crime scene photos. They were as horrible as you might imagine. I’ll warn you: the details I’m about to share are disturbing. I’m providing them here simply because when seeking justice, facts are important. #wthr

3. Jurors saw 147 photos taken by State Police CSI investigators. Pics show the girls’ bodies lying in the woods w their throats slit. Libby’s body was naked, her face & hands covered in blood. Abby was wearing a sweatshirt & jeans, blood visible on her neck w deep wound. #wthr

4. All 3 ISP investigators who took pics/collected evidence at the crime scene testified. They showed photos of the ground near the bodies “saturated in blood.” Another pic showed blood on a nearby tree. The photos were shown on that large video screen in the courtroom. #wthr

5. Several jurors outwardly struggled as they viewed the graphic photos. One put his hand over his mouth & his face turned bright red. Another took slow, deep breaths, trying to settle herself while viewing the evidence. After 90 minutes of pics, jurors were given a 90-min break.

6. The families of Abby & Libby were also shaken. Both moms cried. At times, they turned away or put their heads down to avoid seeing the most graphic images. Pics of the girls’ faces, Libby’s hands & feet, the aerial & low angle shots…it was a LOT to take in for everyone. #wthr

7. The point of today’s testimony wasn’t just to show jurors the crime scene pics but to allow investigators to explain how & where they collected evidence at “ground zero.” That’s the immediately area around the bodies where nearly all evidence was collected. #wthr

8. The investigators discussed where they found blood, sticks on the girls’ bodies, notable disturbances on the ground, etc, and jurors saw a CSI diagram of the crime scene. This is a rendering that I drew in my notes today based on the diagram shown to jurors. #wthr

9. The investigators were calm, professional & methodical as they answered questions, walking jurors through the crime scene. During cross exam, the defense challenged them on several photos & pieces of evidence—specifically honing in on the sticks & a bullet cartridge. #wthr

10. Defense attorney Brad Rozzi questioned the ISP investigators on why sticks on the bodies were not taken as evidence right away rather than returning later to gather them & place them into evidence. One CSI agent said it’s hard to get DNA off a stick so they saw little value.

11. Rozzi also grilled investigators about an unspent bullet cartridge they discovered between the bodies. He asked why they took no pics/video showing the item being removed from the scene, questioning the chain of custody and integrity of the evidence collection. #wthr

12. The ISP investigator who found the cartridge testified he brushed away leaves near the evidence very gently. Another said there’s no reason to video the evidence being removed from the ground. The bullet, which the state later tested & linked to Allen, is central to the case.

13. For a full rundown of Day 3 testimony & evidence, here’s the 13News Delphi Debrief with more details from me & @EmilyWTHR & insight from our brilliant 13News legal analyst Katie Jackson-Lindsay. We do this every night after testimony is complete. #wthr wthr.com/mobile/article…