Even if he anticipates being offered a plea deal, incriminating yourself in public feels like a brutally idiotic move to make.
Also, Mersh hinted that there's already a coordinated effort being formed to rehabilitate Nick Rekieta's public image by launching a dogpile against Aaron Imholte in order to make him into the greater villain of the two, adding that Nick Rekieta is "actually likeable" and that no one cares about neglecting his starving, stinky children. The full clip is an hour, but he lays it out so specifically that it has to be something that's being discussed behind the scenes.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YlHjSRZBhI4L | PreserveTube is taking forever, will edit in when done