RICHMOND, Ind. — The Richmond Police Department is being accused of lying to the media after claims that two murder victims found inside trash bags dumped in a river were not their confidential informants.
In a letter obtained by FOX59/CBS4, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says Assistant Chief of Police Adam Blanton gave "factually inaccurate" and verifiably false information to news media. The letter says Blanton - who serves as RPD's Public Information Officer - has been placed on the Brady-Giglio list.
The Brady-Giglio list is a public record list of police officials accused of misconduct, misinformation and other impeachable offenses. It is maintained by U.S. prosecutors to "ensure fair trials" and prevent officers with questionable integrity from testifying in court.
The filing stems from a September double murder investigation in which two Richmond residents were shot, stabbed and strangled before being stuffed inside trash bags, driven to Fort Wayne and thrown into a river. A "known drug dealer" who uses the name "Nico" has since been charged for their deaths.
The deaths
Christina M. Dixon, 40, and Matthew J. Johnson, 41, were found dead on Sept. 20 by Fort Wayne police after their bodies were recovered from the St. Mary’s River on the edge of downtown near Guldlin Park. Their bodies were found inside trash bags and their deaths were ruled homicides.
Court documents show Dixon died by strangulation and suffocation, while Johnson died from a gunshot wound and stab wound. Detectives soon learned the two victims had been reported missing on Sept. 19 by Richmond police, one day before their bodies were found.
After collaborating with Richmond Police on an investigation into the pair's last known whereabouts, FWPD identified Dominique "Nico" Washington as a suspect.
Police spoke with several witnesses - including Dixon's 9-year-old son - who saw the victims getting into a car with a man matching Washington's description the day they disappeared.
Court documents state Washington is a "known drug dealer" in the Richmond area and claim he had connections to both Johnson and Dixon. For more information on the investigation into Washington, click here.
A probable cause affidavit for Washington's arrest was filed on Sept. 24 and he was soon booked into jail on four felony murder charges.
In the court documents, Fort Wayne police wrote that both Dixon and Johnson were Confidential Informants for Richmond police and said their information had recently led to a drug bust connected to Washington's operation. Richmond police later denied this.
Dispute over informant status
Information about the victims being informants was published in both Fort Wayne and Indianapolis media, citing Fort Wayne police affidavit. Soon after, however, Richmond police denied that Johnson and Dixon had ever worked as their informants.
In a Facebook post on RPD's official page, Officer Adam Blanton said the information was "incorrect" and claimed the decedents were never informants. The next day, Blanton seemingly walked back on these statements in an email to FOX59/CBS4.
"We cannot rule out that Dixon or Johnson, at some point in their lifetime, have worked covertly and cooperatively with the police department," Blanton said. "However, regarding Dominique Washington, we can verify that both Johnson and Dixon were not working in any informant capacity. In fact... Dominique and Johnson appeared to be acquaintances."
"We are actively investigating how this information entered the probable cause affidavit for the Fort Wayne Police Department," the statement read. "We contacted them to alert them of this confusion."
Blanton went on to blame "miscommunication" and "mistaken assumptions" from an agency over 100 miles from Richmond (FWPD) for the mistakes. He said it seems an officer mentioned Dixon and Johnson's "potential involvement" in a "separate investigation" so as to be helpful, which was then misinterpreted and published in court docs.
Now, the local prosecutor's office is saying these claims from Blanton are false.
'Factually inaccurate' police statements
On Oct. 9, Prosecuting Attorney Michael W. Shipman sent a letter to Richmond Police Chief Kyle Weatherly telling him one of his officers was being placed on the county's Brady-Giglio list. That officer was Assistant Chief/PIO Adam Blanton.
The letter claimed Blanton made two statements containing verifiably false information regarding Johnson and Dixon's confidential informant status with RPD.
The first statement - Blanton's Facebook post - is described by Shipman as a "blanket statement" denying the victims were ever informants. This statement, prosecutors argue, is "factually inaccurate" and something Blanton could have easily verified as false.
Specifically, the prosecutor says both Dixon and Johnson gave information to Richmond police that was then used to apply for a search warrant. This matches what Fort Wayne police put in their arrest affidavit, implying the search warrant led to a drug bust connected to Washington.
Furthermore, the prosecutor claims that on July 24 he approved Dixon to purchase drugs as a Confidential Informant for the Richmond Police Department. Shipman said he also declined RPD's request to use Johnson as an informant to buy drugs.
The second false statement listed in the letter is Blanton's email to media outlets.
"[Blanton] then tried to correct it by saying [the victims] may have been informants at some point but were not as it related to specific individuals [Washington]," the letter reads. "[Blanton] first stated another officer gave him incorrect information. Assuming the information he received was incorrect, he has a duty as PIO to verify the accuracy before disseminating. He then shifted to state he meant it as to specific individuals."
The letter goes on to describe a second incident in which Blanton allegedly lied to the media - this time in regards to a YouTube prankster who had taped himself to a pole in Richmond. FOX59/CBS4 is working to gather more information on this incident.
Shipman ends the letter by saying Blanton is welcome to submit a written response to the letter and Brady list filing.
Richmond police have since denied the claims in the prosecutor's letter. To read a full copy of the letter, click here.
Richmond Police response
Richmond Police Chief Kyle Weatherly denied the prosecutor's claims in a statement sent Thursday to FOX59/CBS4.
"The Richmond Police Department is aware of the reports being made against a member of its administration. I, along with Assistant Chief Blanton, dispute Prosecutor Shipman's decision to include him on the purported "Brady List" and the erroneous characterization of the events regarding the decision. The Richmond Police Department and Assistant Chief Blanton are reviewing their options in light of the Prosecutor's actions to remedy this matter.
Our officers are held to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability. Our commitment to the people of this great community remains steadfast and at the forefront of our mission. While we fundamentally disagree with the actions of Prosecutor Shipman, we are confident that this issue will be resolved appropriately.
As this issue has become a matter of official investigation, the Richmond Police Department and Assistant Chief Blanton will not have further comments on this matter until this process is concluded."
- Chief Kyle Weatherly
No other information was immediately provided by Richmond police. FOX59/CBS4 has reached out to multiple lawyers and groups involved for more information and have yet to hear back.
To read our previous, in-depth reporting on the deaths of Johnson and Dixon, click here.
More on the Brady List
Indiana University Law Professor Jody Madeira said the Brady List is not where a law enforcement officer wants to find themself and can limit what jobs they can do in a department.
”When an officer who is on the Brady List testifies in court, they have to disclose that information, the prosecution would have to disclose that information to the defense," Madeira said.
If the officer continues to work on investigations, it can also complicate the job of the prosecutor.
”If a prosecutor has a case where an officer listed on the Brady List is the only witness or something like that, then they might not charge the offense at all," Madeira said.
Madeira said once an officer is on the Brady List, it's hard to get off.
”Once you're on it, you are pretty much stuck on it," she said. "Unless you can disprove the allegations that have resulted in you being on that list."
Which Madeira said many officers do. Brady Lists are maintained and vetted by prosecutors, but this does not give officers on the list due process, making it a controversial subject.
”For example, national police professional organizations have said, 'This is unfair. We don't get due process before we are named to the list. Several people are put on the list just for allegations,'" Madeira said. "And they think is manifestly unfair."
FOX59/CBS4's Eric Graves contributed to this report.