If you are looking for a podcast to listen to while on lockdown, Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders, is a really interesting listen. https://www.downthehillpodcast.com/. The podcast is about the unsolved February 2017 murder of two girls, Libby German (age 14) and Abigail Williams (age 13). The girls went on a hike starting at around 1:30 pm. The girls did not show up for their ride home and a search of the area was started early that evening. The next day their bodies were found in the woods near the trail. These two girls, with everything to live for, had the misfortune of crossing paths with a coward/predator. Libby snapped a photo of him with her smartphone and captured some audio of the monster’s voice and somehow did this without the killer’s knowledge. The photo and audio are not completely clear, but both were broadcast to the public. No one has yet been arrested. Law enforcement and the podcasters have concluded that this monster is probably a local who was or is walking among the residents of Delphi, Indiana.
The way law enforcement spoke to and dealt with the press as well as these podcasters was impressive. Episode 9 is particularly poignant. In it, a retired fire chief speaks emotionally about the search for the girls. The superintendent in charge of the murder investigation and the grandfather of Libby German speak candidly, together, about the status of the investigation three years later.
If you want something interesting to read, start here with the FOIA documents provided in this case by the Michigan State Police. You have seen the letter sent by the MSP’s Assistant FOIA Coordinator Linda Ortiz in initial response to my Dad’s FOIA request:
My Dad’s attorney responded to this letter, rejecting Ortiz’s claim that there would be any exempt materials.
To my knowledge, the MSP never identified any documents they considered exempt. The 3,000-plus pages include numerous blank pages. Again, no explanation for blank pages, exemptions or redactions.
The following are from the first volume of the FOIA response. The responsive documents filled six large binders. I am posting these documents in the order they were provided. Sometimes the same documents appear in various volumes. Some of the documents are missing, as evidenced by gaps in the Bates stamp numbering. Where did these go? I can only say that documents were pulled for reporters, authors, podcasters and other media people. Some of the documents never ended up back where they should have been. I would say that approximately 25-plus pages from various volumes are missing. Presumably, they just didn’t get refiled as they should have been. They are floating around out there but are not in these computer files.
Many of the pages from Volume 1 have been previously posted, but I am posting again in order so that you can see how they showed up. Remember that these documents were provided in late spring of 2010 (a decade ago and still no answers) and are the documents selected by the MSP as responsive to a limited FOIA request concerning this case. I’m sure they withheld their little log notations concerning hacking the computers and cellphones of victims’ family members and those communicating with them, and of using a listening device in October 2009 in an MSP waiting room where family members of Kristine Mihelich and Tim King were sent to cool their heels until law enforcement deemed that their bullshit powwow could begin 45 minutes late. I doubt you got an earful that day, but wow, do you suck. Such a complete contrast to Episode 9 in the podcast referenced above.
These documents are very triggering and will challenge your faith in humanity. They raise more questions than they answer. For me, there were numerous themes that ran through these volumes from Hell. You readers are smart people; you can come to your own conclusions. I won’t even ask you to put yourself in the shoes of a victims’ families as you read them the way we did. Post your comments here; my email is so, so full. Will the truth ever prevail here?
If you have read the past few posts about Busch and Hastings, the first 13 or so files here will be redundant for you. Click on Binder 7 then on 8, even though they are on the same line. The last 6 files are new to this blog. Future posts will be shorter. This is Volume/Binder 1 of 6. More later.