Thread by @BobSegallWTHR

13 Things To Know From The #Delphi Murders Trial Today - Nov 1🧵

1. Today was the first full day of testimony for the defense. They had a strong strategy to counter Thursday’s damaging jailhouse confessions played for the jury. But that strategy blew up in their face. #wthr

2. They called Max Baker to testify. He’s a defense team intern who compiled months of prison video obtained through discovery, including video of Richard Allen in & out of his cell—highlighting his treatment & mental decline. Could have been powerful, but the jury never saw it.

3. Prosecutor Nick McLeland objected to jurors seeing the IDOC videos bc the defense couldn’t verify the dates they were recorded. Judge Gull ruled the jury CAN see the videos at a later date—IF the defense can prove the videos are from the same time period of RA’s confessions.

4. The defense was still able to get the jury info suggesting Allen was mentally impaired at the time of his confessions. IDOC behavioral health director Dr. Deanna Dwenger testified RA was diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness & designated Gravely Disabled around that time.

5. She also said solitary confinement can be toxic for mental health & could have made RA worse. So while jurors didn’t get to see prison videos to help counteract the powerful audio statements, the defense did start planting seeds about RA’s mental health at time of confessions.

6. Before discussing the other witnesses, it’s important to mention what Gull ruled at the end of today’s testimony. She ruled (again) the defense CANNOT introduce evidence & witnesses related to their Odinism & alternate perpetrator theory—a big part of the defense strategy.

7. Former Delphi police chief Steve Mullin & former Carroll Co sheriff Tobe Leazenby also testified today. The defense blasted Mullin for erased suspect interviews early in the investigation & got Leazenby to acknowledge he originally thought there were multiple killers.

8. Local residents Brad Heath & David McCain told jurors what they saw the day Abby & Libby were killed. Baker said he saw a blue car that seemed out of place near the trail & McCain took photos on the Monon High Bridge the afternoon of the murders. Said he didn’t see Bridge Guy.

9. Chris Goote, a police officer who helped interview possible suspects right after the murders, said he didn’t recall anything from his interview with Brad Weber (now of interest to the defense). Even after being shown a report about his interview, he still recalled nothing.

10. Former Delphi fire chief Darrell Sterrett testified he helped search along the creek the night the girls went missing, but he & others didn’t see the bodies in the woods or the clothes recovered the next day from the creek. Were they just hard to see in the dark or not there?

11. Today’s testimony was punctuated by frequent objections, sidebars & delays. Don’t expect that to change. McLeland seems very willing to fight to prevent jurors from seeing evidence & testimony that he wants excluded. And some of today’s testimony was ripe for objection.

12. Jurors continue to be engaged & ask great questions. My favorite of the day was a question that led the DOC mental health expert to explain to jurors how to tell when an inmate has a real mental illness & when they are faking it—something these jurors will be asked to decide.

13. I’m getting comments asking why I didn’t mention X or why I left out Y & Z.

It’s hard to include a day’s worth of testimony in 13 brief points. To see more, check out the 13News Delphi Debrief — Day 13 edition. We can fit in a lot in 48 minutes.