Delphi murders’ prosecutor wants filings kept from public view pending judge’s review
DELPHI, Ind. (WISH) — The Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office has requested all pleadings and filings in the Delphi murders case should be “sealed for the Court’s Review Before Being Released to the Public.”
The request is one of a series of filings Monday in the criminal case against Richard Allen.
Special Judge Frances Gull, who was appointed from Allen County to hear the case, has previously ordered documents publicly released that had been under seal and called for transparency in the case.
Abigail “Abby” Williams, 14, and Liberty “Libby” German, 13, were last seen on the afternoon of Feb. 13, 2017. They had been dropped off near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi. The next day, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office announced that it was looking for the girls. Their bodies were located around 12:15 p.m. Feb. 14, 2017. An autopsy showed the girls had been stabbed.
Allen has been arrested and charged with their murders. He was age 50 when arrested.
Monday’s filing from the prosecutor’s office came days after the attorneys for Allen filed documents saying they believe the girls’ deaths were part of a ritualistic sacrifice. Allen’s attorneys claim that “members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German.”
In a search warrant request in March 2017, an FBI agent claimed the girls’ bodies appeared to have been “moved and staged” at the crime scene.
Allen’s legal team argues that Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett “chose to hide crucial information from the search warrant affidavit and provided false statements in said Search Warrant Affidavit.” The motion also claims that had Liggett’s request included all available information, including the claims of Odinism involvement, the original judge would not have approved the search warrant.
In that search, investigators found a handgun they say was linked to the case through an unspent bullet found at the crime scene. They also found several knives in the home.
Allen’s lawyers also recently renewed their request that he be immediately moved out of the state’s maximum security prison in Westville. Allen has been held there since a few days after his arrest, part of a safekeeping order requested by the sheriff.
Both sides are under a gag order in the case, preventing them from publicly discussing the case.
