Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel is calling for the release of the Souderton Borough Police Department report detailing Skyler Kauffman and her friend going into her alleged killer’s apartment to use the bathroom in April.
The accused killer, James Troutman, was charged with killing Kaufman on Monday, but some critics have said Troutman should have been charged back on April 18, the Times Herald reports.
The police department said they had no evidence that a crime had occurred back in April and did not charge the alleged killer, according to the Times Herald.
Hoeffel said he believes the release of the report would clear up a discrepancy between the information at the DA’s office and the April 18 police department report, according to the report.
“And apparently, according to people who are making comments to the press, [the report] is not consistent with the affidavit of probable cause that was produced to Troutman this week," Hoeffel told the Times Herald.
The DA’s office released a statement in response to questions from the Times Herald about Hoeffel’s request, saying the release of the report could affect the outcome of the court’s decision and the eventual persecution of Troutman.
“The details of what happened before, during and after the killing are all the subject of an on-going, comprehensive murder investigation which will be handled in court ... The information developed by the investigators will be detailed in court proceedings as the case progresses,” District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said in a prepared statement. She continued, “To do otherwise would compromise the criminal prosecution of an alleged child killer. That is not acceptable.”
Hoeffel also suggested that either the Souderton Police or the DA's office did their job improperly, according to the Times Herald.
“If the affidavit of probable cause is accurate, it appears the Souderton police did not do their jobs properly. But if the initial police report from a month ago is accurate, which has a much more benign reporting of that encounter, the Souderton police did do their jobs, and for some reason, the District Attorney’s Office exaggerated the affidavit of probable cause this week,” Hoeffel states on timesherald.com.
The DA’s office said they are working in the best interests of the case, of Kauffman, and her family.
“We are working hard to seek justice for Skyler and her loved ones. The best way we can do that is to follow the rule of law and make sure that her killer is held accountable for his actions.”
