A pending murder case may have been compromised when crime scene photos – including photos of the victim, Julian Juan Fipps – were released on social media last week.
Sheriff Bill Rogers and District Attorney Jon David condemned the leak in a joint statement released today (Tuesday).
Fipps was gunned down on MM Ray Road Jan. 9, according to the sheriff’s office. Xavier Thomas, who lives in South Carolina but has a Tabor city address, was charged with first degree murder in the shooting.
The person who posted the photos, an email between a CCSO investigator and the FBI, and telephone logs gathered in the case claims that Thomas is not guilty of the killing.
“Within the last week,” the statement read, “it has come to our attention that documents and images from the criminal investigation have been posted on social media. This is a disturbing development for several reasons.
“First, the case remains a pending investigation as the case has not been resolved yet in a Columbus County courtroom. This disclosure potentially affects our ability to get justice in the case by exposing evidence to the community prior to that same evidence being properly admitted in a court of law. The goal of every case in the judicial system is for a case to be judged on the admissible evidence by a jury that has yet to form an opinion about someone’s guilt or innocence.
“Second, the evidence that was recklessly exposed on social media was of a very sensitive nature and is very hurtful to the victim’s family. The idea that someone would post this information for their own benefit and to increase viewership of their social media site is sickening and reflects the true motivations of the author.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family, who are subjected to this public indignity at a time they are privately grieving the loss of a child.”
David and Rogers said the two offices “share an unwavering commitment to seek justice in all cases, but dedicate enormous amounts of time and resources to the successful investigation and prosecution of individuals that commit violent crimes in our community. Part of this commitment is to the absolute confidentiality of pending cases.”
David went on to say that neither office will release evidence in a criminal case except where required by law, through discovery to the defense attorney. A “secured electronic system” is used to share the evidence “directly to the Defendant’s defense attorney,” David said.
The news release did not name Thomas’ attorney.
The release did not specify if officials will attempt to locate the source of the leak. David did say both offices would protect evidence as part of the criminal justice process.”
“The public should rest assured that the District Attorney’s Office and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Department work tirelessly to bring justice to victims and their families. The utmost care is given to ensure a favorable outcome for the State. The reckless disclosure of information of pending cases compromises this goal, and as such, we are committed to protecting this information to the extent we have the ability to do so.”
