After Daniel Messel was charged in connection with the murder of Indiana University student Hannah Wilson, many students were left wondering, "Who is Daniel Messel, and why would anybody do something so horrible?"
While Messel awaits his trial, new information has been released by a New Castle Correctional Facility inmate named David Hayden. Hayden recently came forward with revelations about Messel and his past. For months (from late May 2015 to August 2015), Hayden has been writing letters to the head prosecutor in Messel's case, stating that Messel had previously picked up women, assaulted them, and left them afterwards.
Hayden also claimed to have met Messel before, both in 1996 when they were both incarcerated and in 2005. In 2005, Hayden stated that they met at Night Moves in Bloomington. In the letters, Hayden wrote that Messel confided in him (Hayden), telling him that he would "cruise campus looking for women." Hayden added that Messel would walk around campus wearing a shirt with a "campus security" logo on it.
After reading all of this new information on Indiana Daily Student, I was shocked. But, it also raised the question: is David Hayden telling the truth, and if so, why speak now?
Hayden is a current inmate in the psychiatric unit of the prison and has a criminal record that includes forgery and theft. According to court documents, Hayden is not listed as a possible witness to any crimes.
This alone makes me question his credibility, and if he claims to know Messel so well, why is he not a witness or a possible credible source? As if this information isn't enough, Hayden also said he has information on the disappearance of Lauren Spierer, an Indiana student who has yet to be found.
Through a letter, Hayden claimed that in 2011 a friend hit a woman with her car, whom he believes to have been Spierer. The friend later disposed of the body along Highway 46, according to Indiana Daily Student.
There has yet to be new leads on the Lauren Spierer case for a while now, so these sudden allegations along with the Messel information is a little suspicious, to say the least. Why wait until now to release information that could have helped find Sperier years ago? It scares me to think that someone would sit on information like this for years, letting a family not know what happened to their loved one.
While the information may be rocky early on, we can't forget that this man may potentially be telling the truth. If this all appears to be true, I think the scariest part of this all is whether or not the murder of Hannah Wilson and the disappearance of Lauren Spierer could have been prevented.
Regardless of the validity, this should serve as a reminder to never leave a friend on their own, no matter what the circumstances. Being with a friend while out cannot be stressed enough; this one detail can create a much safer environment, no matter what university you are at.
