Delphi, Indiana – January 21, 2024
In a significant development, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Richard Allen, the individual charged in the 2017 murder of two teenage girls near Delphi, Indiana, is permitted to have his original defense attorneys reinstated for the case. The decision comes alongside the filing of new charges against Allen by prosecutors.
Allen faces charges in connection with the brutal murders of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German. Their lifeless bodies were discovered in the woods near the Delphi historic trail on Valentine’s Day nearly seven years ago.
Originally scheduled for January 2024, Allen’s trial encountered a setback when defense attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi withdrew from the case during an October 19 hearing. This withdrawal was prompted by an evidence leak, leading Judge Fran Gull to characterize their actions as “grossly negligent.” Subsequently, Allen’s new legal team filed a motion to delay the trial, citing the impracticality of meeting the original January date. As a result, the trial has been rescheduled for October 15, 2024.
The state Supreme Court, however, chose not to remove Judge Gull from the case or mandate the commencement of the trial within 70 days.
Liberty and Abigail were found stabbed to death on a hiking trail near an abandoned railroad bridge. Allen, a Delphi resident who lived in the town throughout the investigation, was arrested in October 2022. Prosecutors allege that Allen confessed to the murders in prison phone calls to his wife. In contrast, his defense has pointed the finger at four other individuals as responsible for the heinous crime.
The investigation into the murders has been marked by a chilling detail – Libby managed to capture a photo of the assailant and record his voice on her cell phone before her untimely demise. Law enforcement has also released several sketches of the suspect.
Adding a new layer to the legal proceedings, Carroll County, Indiana prosecutors have now filed two additional counts of murder and two kidnapping charges against Allen. Originally facing two counts of murder, the intensified charges underscore the severity of the case.
As the Delphi community continues to grapple with the aftermath of this tragedy, the legal proceedings are poised to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the brutal murders of Abby Williams and Liberty German.