Delphi Trial | Full Coverage

The trial for Delphi Murders suspect Richard Allen began on October 18 and is set to run six days a week through mid-November.

Allen, 52, is charged with murder in the deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14. The girls’ bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi on Feb. 14, 2017.

Below is a list of recaps from each day of the trial with links to the full LIVE trial blogs from those days.

Day 1 – Full Blog | Oct. 18, 2024

Court proceedings on Friday began at the Carroll County courthouse in Delphi with opening statements from the prosecution and Allen’s defense.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin began his statement by saying “Richard Allen is an innocent man,” before discussing points from their argument, including DNA from hair found in Abby Williams’ hand not matching Allen’s, false confessions from Allen and his family, and witnesses who would testify that Allen was not on the High Monon Bridge in Delphi on the day the girls disappeared.

State prosecutor Nick McLeland began his opening statement by describing Feb. 13, 2017, as a “summer day in the middle of winter” and Libby and Abby’s adventure on the bridge. He warned the jury of graphic pictures that would be shown and said witnesses would testify that Allen confessed to being on the bridge. Allen and his wife both “furiously” shook their heads hearing the prosecution’s mention of him being on the bridge.

Special Judge Frances Gull also ruled in favor of the state’s request that composite sketches used during the investigation would NOT be allowed as evidence in the trial. The first courtroom sketch of the trial was also released to the public Friday evening.

The first set of emotional testimonies came from Libby German’s grandmother, Becky Patty; sister, Kelsi Seibert; and father, Derrick German. Abby’s mother, Anna Williams, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Mitchell Catron ended Friday’s witness statements. To read their statements, click here.

Day 2 – Full Blog | Oct. 19, 2024

Saturday’s court proceedings at the Carroll County courthouse in Delphi with testimony from three witnesses: Steve Mullin, Delphi’s police chief in February 2017; Jake Johns, the search party member who found Libby’s tie-dyed T-shirt; and Pat Brown, the man who found the girls’ bodies. To read their testimonies, click here.

Day 1 of the Delphi Murders trial included emotional testimonies from Libby German’s grandmother, Becky Patty; sister, Kelsi Seibert; and father, Derrick German. Abby’s mother, Anna Williams, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Mitchell Catron ended Friday’s witness statements. To read their statements, click here.

Day 3 – Full Blog | Oct. 21, 2024

It was an emotional day in the Carroll County courthouse on Monday.

While the jury heard from three law enforcement officers who were some of the first to document the scene, the court also saw 42 crime scene photos. Most of the courtroom struggled to watch.

They included several graphic images of Abby Williams and Libby German’s bodies, as well as other evidence from the scene. News 8’s Kyla Russell reported that Family members of both the girls and Richard Allen were emotional, either holding hands, crying, or looking away from the exhibits.

Testimonies were given by Dep. Darron Giancola, the first deputy to see the girls’ bodies; Indiana State Police Sgt. Jason Page, a crime scene investigator who secured and photographed the scene; ISP Sgt. Duane Datzman, a retired crime scene technician who was the CSI at the Deer Creek scene; and ISP Trooper Brian Olehy, who helped photograph evidence of the crime scene. To read their testimonies, click here.

Outside of the courtroom, Richard Allen’s defense team requested that crime scene video recorded by Libby German shortly before her death should be limited and asked that the state not elicit testimony about the sounds in the area.

Day 4 – Full Blog | Oct. 22, 2024

Tuesday began with cross-examination of ISP Trooper Brian Olehy, who discussed a large exhibit of crime scene evidence, most contained in sealed, brown paper bags. During the exhibit, Olehy said he was not aware of any DNA found that was connected to Richard Allen.

According to News 8’s Kyla Russell, a tense back-and-forth between the defense, prosecution, and Olehy followed, prompting objections from the prosecution. He also discussed the unspent bullet found at the scene, a piece of evidence the defense referred to as the “magic bullet.”

After lunch, ISP Lt. Brian Bunner, a state forensic examiner, explained the process of cellphone data extraction and discussed the infamous “bridge video” found on Libby German’s phone. Bunner said in only some screenshots taken from the video can a man be seen behind the girls. The man in the video has been given the moniker “Bridge Guy” by many.

The defense asked about the GPS data from the video, to which Bunner answered that the coordinates were close to the bridge, but he did not look at the data. Following Bunner, audio-visual forensic expert Jeremey Chapman testified about enhancing audio in the bridge recording to pinpoint where the “Bridge Guy” was heard saying “Down the hill.”

Then, three witnesses who said they saw “Bridge Guy” on the High Monon Trail the day Libby German and Abby Williams went missing testified.

One witness, Railly Voorheis, said she saw Bridge Guy on the trial and told him “hi,” but he didn’t respond.

The second witness, Breann Welber, said she made a post to Snapchat when she went to the bridge on Feb. 13, 2017. She said Libby had messaged her on Snapchat sometime before going missing. After the grainy photo of “Bridge Guy” was released to the public, Welber said, “First thing I thought was that is the person I saw on the trail.”

The third was Betsey Blair, who frequently visited the Monon Trail. She did several loops of the trail on Feb. 13, 2017, and said she saw “Bridge Guy,” and later saw two girls on the trail. She said she immediately recognized “Bridge Guy” as the man she saw on the trail.

The last witness to testify Tuesday afternoon was Steve Mullin, former chief of police for Delphi and an investigator for the Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office. He discussed collecting video from sources in the Delphi case and how he determined when and where the videos were taken.

Day 5 – Full Blog | Oct. 23, 2024

Wednesday began with a motion from Richard Allen’s attorneys to admit evidence regarding Odinism  and the theory that the girls were murdered in a “ritualistic killing.”

In September 2023, the defense filed a 136-page memorandum claiming that members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German.”

The court struck down the Odinism theory last month. Gull has not yet ruled on the latest motion.

The first witness was Dr. Roland Kohr, who performed autopsies on Abby and Libby’s bodies. He described the wounds each girl had. He said the girls did not have blatant defensive wounds or sexual trauma.

Kohr said the girls could have been wounded with a box cutter, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell. This sparked a contentious back-and-forth with the defense, which argued that Kohr’s original report said the girls were wounded with a serrated edge.

The defense accused Kohr of changing his story without telling them.

Second to testify was Sarah Carbaugh, who told the court she saw Bridge Guy walking alongside the road “covered in mood and blood” around 4 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017, says News 8’s Kyla Russell.

Carbaugh said she recognized the photo of Bridge Guy as the man she saw covered in blood and mud, but that she waited three weeks to notify police because she was scared.

The defense questioned Carbaugh about alleged discrepancies in her descriptions over the years in police interviews. She also claimed a section of her June 2017 police interview was missing.

The state then called Christopher Cecil, commander of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force who spearheaded wo reports on Libby’s cell phone activity.

Cecil said the phone was being used by both girls on the day they disappeared, and he talked about various apps they used.

He said the the phone was last unlocked around 2:07 p.m. and the Bridge Guy video was taken at 2:13 p.m. At 2:14 p.m., someone tried to unlock the phone with a fingerprint. 2:32 p.m. is the last known movement of the phone.

Libby’s phone stayed on and received messages until at least 10:30 p.m. Although it wasn’t turned off, it stopped receiving messages until 4:33 a.m. on Feb. 14. When asked why this happened, Cecil replied, “I don’t know.”

When asked if Richard Allen’s 23 electronic devices seized in 2022 connected him to Abby and Libby, Cecil said no. He said that nothing linked Allen to the girls, other than having searched for info about the case, Russell reports.

The prosecution pointed out that Allen had a different phone in 2017 not included in the seize. The defense responded that Allen did not have his phone from 2017 in 2022.

Day 6 – Full Blog | Oct. 24, 2024

Thursday began with testimony from Kathy Shank, who acted as a “secretary” for the investigation.

Shank said she took down tipster’s names and information, but that her job was not to decide if a tip should be followed up on. Shank eventually created a filing system and organized the reports — more than 14,000 of them — into five filing cabinets.

She told the court that in 2020, she was asked to scan every file into an electronic database — a process that took two years.

Shank said that in September 2022, she found a handwritten tip that said a “Richard Allen Whiteman” had “self-reported being on the trails and girls had seen him at the same time.”

Shank realized the tip was mislabeled. “Richard Allen Whiteman” wasn’t a name — it was a person named Richard Allen, who lived on Whiteland Drive.

The jury asked, “How did you determine the name was incorrect on the file?”

Shank replied that being from the area, she knew there was a Whiteman Drive.

Under cross-examination, Shank said the mistake on Allen’s name was made before she joined the investigation.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin asked Shank, “There was no other tip, to your knowledge, that involved Richard Allen?”

Shank replied, “To my knowledge, no.”

The second person to take the stand was Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett.

One of the most notable moments of his testimony, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell, was when he played the 43-second “Bridge Guy” video and shared what he thinks was said:

Abby: “Is he right here? Don’t leave me up here.”

Libby: “This is the path…that be a gun…there’s no path here.”

Bridge Guy: “Guys.”

One of the girls: “Hi.”

Bridge Guy: “Down the hill.”

Liggett said Kathy Shank brought his concerns to her, and he contacted former Delphi police chief Steve Mullin.

Steve Mullin was the next person to testify.

Mullin told the court he discovered Allen drove a black Ford Focus and that he found a car matching that description passing by the Hoosier Harvestore in security video from Feb. 13, 2017.

The jury was shown a 9-second video of the vehicle passing from east to west, followed by close-ups of the car .

Mullin said he and Liggett went to Richard Allen’s house to talk about the investigation and Allen agreed to go with them to the police station.

Allen told police what he was wearing that day, and gave a timeline of events that included time at his mother’s house in Peru, a stop in Delphi for a jacket, and parking his car at the old DCS building in Delphi.

Mullin said Allen told them he arrived at the trails at noon — which was different than what he’d said previously — and that he went on the Monon High Bridge to look at fish and saw three girls near there.

Allen told and Liggett they could look in his phone, but then changed his mind.

They showed Allen a photo of “Bridge Guy,” according to Mullin, and Allen said that if one of the girls took the photo on their phone, there was “no way” it could be him.

Allen left the interview after that.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin started cross-examination by telling Mullin he had “lied to the jury” because he was “so desperate for Richard Allen to be going west” on 300 North. If he was traveling that direction, the security camera footage would have caught him.

After some back-and-forth, Mullin ended up agreeing with Baldwin that Allen had said he was driving through the town to get to the trails, meaning he was traveling east. The video shared earlier as evidence showed the vehicle passing from east to west.

Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett returned to the stand Thursday afternoon.

He testified to finding out about the tip involving Allen and contacting Mullin. He told the jury he went to CVS to take a photo of Allen’s Ford Focus.

Similarly to Mullin, talked about interviewing Allen at the police station in October 2022.

Liggett also told the jury about what was found in the search of Allen’s home, including guns and ammunition.

He said he found another .40-caliber Winchester cartridge as well as more .40-caliber ammunition from a different brand. They also found a Carhartt jacket in a closet — Allen told Liggett and Mullin he was wearing Carhartt jacket on Feb. 13, 2017 — and over two dozen knives or box cutters.

Liggett says none of the physical evidence or digital evidence tied Allen to the scene.

Dave Vido from Indiana State Police was the next to testify. He helped carry out the search at Allen’s home in the fall of 2022.

Vido showed photos from the search to the jury. The photos included a workbench at Allen’s home that contained knives and box cutters, guns and ammunition, coats (including a blue jacket), and a closet gun case. Some items, including two dozen box-cutter knives, were taken to a state police post.

Vido told the court that he wasn’t aware of any connections found between Allen and the victims.

State Police Lt. Jerry Holeman testified after Vido. He said he did an initial walk-through of the home, then sat inside a car with Allen while the search was underway.

Holeman said that while they were in the car, he asked if Allen wanted to fill out a form for items damaged in the search. He said Allen responded, “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

Day 7 – Full blog | Oct. 25, 2024

At 9:05 a.m., the state called its first witness to the stand: Melissa Oberg, a operations data analyst for a clinical asset health management company. Oberg previously worked as a forensic firearm analyst for the Indiana State Police, but resigned in 2013.

Oberg explained to the jury the process of analyzing a firearm, the different impressions made on bullets, the parts of the gun, and more. The state then showed pictures of an unspent .40-caliber bullet, or the “magic bullet” found near Libby German and Abby Williams’ bodies near Deer Creek. Oberg identified the bullet as a Winchester .40-caliber cartridge that had no biological substance on it. She also noted possible ejector marks and compared it to ejector marks from a Glock 22, another .40-caliber weapon.

After a brief recess, Oberg showed the jury a presentation that concluded that the gun collected from Richard Allen’s home in 2022 had cycled the cartridge that was found near the bodies. She compared tool marks from the unspent cartridge and a test cartridge, saying “several marks were in sufficient agreement.” Oberg finished by confirming the cartridge found at the scene had not been fired.

Oberg said earlier that toolmarks are “features imparted on an object by the contact and force extended from a tool.”

Court recessed for lunch and returned around 1:15 p.m. Friday. News 8’s Kyla Russell reported an alternate juror did not return from lunch and was excused, leaving 12 jurors and three alternates.

Oberg continued testifying as the defense began their cross-examination. Defense attorney Brad Rozzi asked Oberg to define “sufficient agreement” and discussed how PCAST (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) has been studying if the “tool mark industry” is valid science.

Oberg and Rozzi entered a back-and-forth, with Oberg defining how pressure is what is different between cycling or versus firing a cartridge. She again confirmed that the marks on the cartridge helped her determine it matched Allen’s gun. Rozzi asked Oberg if it’s possible that an unspent round could have been cycled through multiple firearms; she agreed.

After a short break, Oberg presented exhibits and answered questions from the jurors. The questions included one about the cycled bullet found near the girls’ bodies and others about the bullets taken from Allen’s home and cycled as part of Oberg’s testing.

Oberg concluded by saying “the results of those tests did not result in an exact match.”

Day 8 – Full Blog | Oct. 26 2024

The court heard from one witness on Saturday: Indiana State Police Lieutenant Jerry Holeman.

Holeman interviewed Richard Allen on Oct. 26, 2022. That’s less than two weeks after Allen’s Delphi home was searched and his car as well as several guns and phones were seized.

The recorded interview eventually led to Allen’s arrest.

Holeman started by explaining his technique for questioning a witness. He talked about the “common practice” of lying to suspects about the amount of evidence investigators have.

Holeman said he didn’t plan on arresting Allen at the start of the interview, but still read him his rights.

He said he asked Allen if anyone borrowed his car, clothes, or gun for long periods of time, to which Allen said “no.” Allen also denied having his firearm on him on Feb. 13, 2017, the day of the murders.

He then explained to Allen that a forensic report said the cartridge found at the scene had been cycled through his SIG Sauer P226. Allen had no explanation and said that was not possible.

Allen’s demeanor changed after that, according to Holeman.

Holeman then explained to Allen that there were witnesses who said he was the man in the “Bridge Guy” video. He said in court this was not true, but was used as a way to get a reaction from Allen.

Allen denied at least 20 times he was the killer and that his gun was there, according to Holeman.

“I am not going to tell you something I didn’t do…l don’t care what you do to me. I am not going to ever tell you something I didn’t do,” Holeman said Allen said in the interview.

Holeman said Allen confirmed he was on the Monon High Bridge on Feb. 13, 2017.

“I noticed a few signs of deception…very subtle,” Holeman said when asked about the interview.

After meeting with other investigators, Holeman determined Allen would be arrested, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell.

When asked by the defense if mistakes have been made with the investigation, Holeman responded, “There’s been mistakes, yes.”

Day 9 – Full Blog | Oct. 28, 2024

Monday began with testimony Stacy Bozinovski, a forensic scientist for the Indiana State Police who tested the DNA found at the scene where Abby Williams and Libby German died in February 2017.

Bozinovski walked the jury through the DNA collection process, the steps involved in testing DNA, and the many DNA swabs she collected from the scene near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.

Bozinovski testified that she found no DNA evidence that linked suspect Richard Allen to the crime scene.

She also told the jury that there was no DNA indicating that the girls had been sexually assaulted.

Bozinovski said recent testing showed the hair found in Abby’s hand was that of Libby’s sister, Kelsi German Siebert. Hair samples were also sent to the FBI for testing, and they said three hairs were found that did not match Abby or Libby’s DNA profiles.

Branches found on the girls’ bodies were also tested and two of them matched Libby’s DNA profile.

Bozinovski told the jury she tested Abby’s black hoodie for male DNA. She said the test was positive, but the DNA belonged to a male lab employee.

She also told the jury the cartridge found in between the two girls at the murder scene could not be tested because there was not enough DNA on it.

Bozinovski said she also tested the items found at Richard Allen’s home in 2022 and none of it pointed to Abby and Libby, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell.

The prosecution asked Bozinovski, “Did you find the DNA of Richard Allen on the DNA samples submitted to you?”

The forensic expert said no, adding that she “did not even create a male profile for any of the DNA.”

Maj. Pat Cicero was the next person to testify. Cicero is a LaPorte County sheriff’s major with previous experience as a crime scene investigator.

Cicero testified that he was called to work on the case in February and didn’t visit the crime scene until April 4.

He told the jury that he believes, based on the direction of blood found at the crime scene, that Libby was killed in one area of the crime scene and then dragged to a different spot.

Cicero said he did not believe Abby Williams was moved after injury. Williams did not have blood on her hands, which Cicero said could have been due to her possibly being restrained or unconscious.

Court adjourned for the day at 5 p.m.

Day 10 – Full Blog | Oct. 29, 2024

Tuesday’s court proceedings included testimony from multiple witnesses, including:

• Steve Mullin, Delphi’s police chief in February 2017
• John Galipeau, former warden at the Westville Correction Facility
• Ethan Drang, who supervised Allen while he was on suicide watch
• Westville Correctional Officer Michael Clemons

The day began with two videos of police interviews with Richard Allen from October 2022.

The first video was an interview that took place on Oct. 13, 2022, before the search of Allen’s home and his arrest. The interview was conducted by Mullin and Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett.

Allen repeatedly denied being involved in the killings of Abby Williams and Libby German, saying at one point, “You’re not going to to find anything that ties me to the murders.”

Allen ran through his version of what happened on Feb. 13, 2017. This included a description of what he was wearing, what car he was driving, what time he arrived at the trails, and what time he thought he left for home.

At one point in the video, investigators asked to extract data from Allen’s phone. Allen agreed at first, but then hesitated, saying he feels they think he had murdered the girls.

Allen became irritated during the interview and told Mullins and Liggett several times that he was not going to admit to something he didn’t do, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell.

The second video was an interview by Indiana State Police Lt. Jerry Holeman on Oct. 26, 2022. The video, parts of which had been redacted, is connected to Holeman’s testimony from Saturday, Russell says.

Holeman asked Allen if anyone borrowed his car, clothes, or gun for long periods of time, to which Allen said “no.” He also denied having his firearm with him on Feb. 13, 2017, the day of the murders.

He told Allen that a forensic report said the cartridge found at the scene had been cycled through his SIG Sauer P226. Allen had no explanation and told Holeman “there’s no way” that was true.

As he did with Mullin and Liggett, Allen told Holeman repeatedly that he did not kill “the two little girls,” Libby German and Abby Williams.

When Holeman said several people suggested Allen was “Bridge Guy,” Allen again denied it. Ed. Note: Holeman testified Saturday that this was one of several lies he told Allen “as a tactic.”

The video included a brief reunion between Allen and his wife, Kathy Allen. He told her he didn’t do it and then told Holeman “he would pay” for what he was doing to Kathy.

When court resumed after lunch, the first person to take the stand was John Galipeau, the former warden of the Westville Correctional Facility. Richard Allen was held at the facility from the time of his arrest until December 2023.

Galipeau answered rapid fire questions from both the state and the prosecution about Allen’s circumstances during his 13-month time of custody in their facility. He came into the unit on suicide watch and remained on it much of the time.

Allen was in the “prison inside of a prison” and his cell was 12 ft x 8 ft. He was there as his case was pending, unlike the many convicted offenders housed there. Galipeau said he has not heard of a safekeeper being held like that before, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell.

Galipeau said Allen was watched by inmates at first, but later, guards were put in charge of watching him. He said this change happened after Allen received some “legal mail” in April 2023 and began defecating in his cell and washing his face with toilet water.

Around the same time, Allen wrote his first confession, Galipeau told the court.

He slipped an envelope under his cell door with a request for interview inside. The paper read, “I’m ready to officially confess to killing Abby and Libby. I hope I get the chance to apologize to their families.” – Galipeau said he sent the confession off to internal affairs.

Eight correctional officers testified after that; seven of them worked at Westville. All eight guards told the court they heard Allen confess to the murders. Two of the officers, Ethan Drang and Michael Clemons, observed Allen while he was on suicide watch and documented his actions in real time.

Drang told the court he had no training on “when someone is faking a mental health condition.” He also described the events of April 5, 2023, a day when he said Allen was “crying and screaming” and later slipped an interview request under his cell door.

Westville correctional officer Michael Clemons was the next to testify.

Clemons’ log was shown to the court. It included the following timestamped entries:

• 7:30 a.m.: “God, I am so glad nobody gave up on me after I killed Abby and Libby.”
• 8:01 a.m.: “I, Richard Matthew Allen, killed Abby and Libby all by myself, nobody helped me.”
• 8:03 a.m.: “I am not crazy, I am only acting like I’m crazy.”

Clemons mentioned a few other quotes from Allen, including “I am ready to confess,” “I don’t want to die,” and an unspecified moment where Allen was screaming nonsense.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Brad Rozzi asked Clemons if Allen said how he killed Abby and Libby. Clemens said “no.”

Rozzi said that Allen’s statement at 8:03 a.m. was his response “to other inmates watching him.” Rozzi added that other inmates would call Allen “baby killer.”

Clemons then said he was not there when Allen was tased, and didn’t see or hear that Allen was smearing or eating feces. He also didn’t believe Allen was acting crazy, saying his shift in behavior was like a switch flip.

Rozzi asked Clemons about mental health codes, to which Clemons said if he knew Allen had a code, that might have changed his mind.

News 8’s Kyla Russell said court adjourned Tuesday around 6:45 p.m. Day 11 is set to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Day 11 – Full Blog | Oct. 30, 2024

The first person to testify Wednesday was clinical psychologist Dr. Monica Wala. Wala is a contractor and lead psychologist at the Indiana Department of Corrections at the Westville Correctional Unit, where Allen was housed.

Wala said that she started seeing Allen in 2022. At the start, she was the only person to work with him. Over time, other professionals — including psychiatrists — began seeing him.

Ed. Note: An important distinction between psychologists and psychiatrists is that psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medications, while psychologists do not have a medical degree and generally cannot prescribe medications.

Wala said when she met with Allen, he was unshackled and seated in a cubicle. She described Allen as being on suicide watch and was watched every 15 minutes by a suicide companion.

Wala told the jury on April 5, 2023 Allen discussed his case with her, unprompted.

In her report from that day, she said Allen told her, “I killed Abby and Libby” and became tearful. Wala said Allen told her “he made sure they were dead because he did not want them to suffer.”

Wala said on May 3, 2023, Allen shared his version of events from Feb. 13, 2017.

According to Wala, Allen told her that on Feb. 13, 2017, he went to see his parents on the morning of the murders. He said he decided not to go with lunch with his mom, and decided to drink three beers and went to the bridge. He told Wala he saw the girls, that he wanted to rape the girls.

Wala said Allen told her he followed the girls, and while walking, a bullet fell from his gun. Then, he told the girls, “down the hill.” He said he planned on raping them, but saw a van and became scared. He then told the girls to cross a creek, cut their throats, and covered their bodies with branches.

Wala said Allen told her he’s been “selfish all of his life” and that he wanted to apologize to Libby and Abby’s families.

“I just want to sign my confession,” Wala said Allen told her.

Wala told the court that she initially believed Allen’s behaviors in his jail cell — including eating feces — weren’t genuine, but eventually changed her mind.

“It was getting to the point where it almost doesn’t matter whether he is faking it or not faking, because he is deteriorating,” Wala said.

During cross examination, Wala admitted to following the case via podcasts and Facebook groups before and during treatment, using a prison data base to look up info, and talking to Allen about the case.

Wala said she once told Allen that he had supporters online: “There are people on your side out there.”

Dr. Wala is no longer working with the Department of Correction. “They had to do an investigation,” she told the court.

Brad Weber, who owns property near the Monon High Bridge where the girls were found, was the next to testify.

On the day the girls went missing in February 2017, Weber told investigators that he went to work and, after that, worked on ATM machines.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin asked Weber if he drove straight home after work on Feb. 13, 2017, to which Weber said he dropped off a trailer. Baldwin said that was earlier in the day, adding that Weber originally told police he went to work on ATM machines after work.

This prompted Weber to scream “That’s not correct!” and to deny Baldwin’s claim multiple times.

Baldwin then gave Weber a subpoena, the details of which were not disclosed, and court adjourned for Wednesday.

Day 12 – Full Blog | Oct. 31

Master Trooper Brian Harshman, a 30-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was the first witness called on Thursday. Harshman said he became involved in the Delphi investigation in April 2020, just over three years after the murders.

Harshman told the court he became “the phone guy,” meaning he monitored Allen’s communication from inside custody to the outside world. He says he monitored calls, video chats, and texts. He says he has listened and relistened to 700 hours of Allen’s calls.

The trooper told the jury he believes the voice in the “Bridge Guy” video is “absolutely Richard Allen’s.”

Harshman testified that Allen either calls his wife or his mother, adding that he makes “incriminating statements.”

The prosecution started by playing several phone calls between Allen and his wife, Kathy, including an outgoing call placed on April 3, 2023:

• R. Allen: I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.
• K. Allen: No, you didn’t. No, you didn’t, dear. Don’t say that. You weren’t feeling well; they messed up your meds.
• K. Allen: Why would you say that?
• R. Allen: Maybe I did (commit the murders)?
• K. Allen: They are messing with your mmind, something is not right. Don’t ever say you did it. I know you didn’t.
• R. Allen: I think I did.
• K. Allen: They’re fooling wiuth you, trying to get you to say things.

Richard Allen then asked his wife to apologize to the girls’ families, to which she replied, “Just don’t talk anymore.”

In many of the calls, both Allen’s wife and mom, Janice, assure him he did not kill the girls, also telling him he was mentally ill.

They asked him at times not to talk about the crimes over the phone. Allen also mentioned in the calls several times that he felt he had lost his mind inside Westville.

The prosecution rested its case just before 5 p.m. and the defense called its first two witnesses.

First up was a woman named Cheyenne Mill. Mill and her best friend were hiking on the Monon High Bridge trails on Feb. 13, 2017, and crossed the bridge around 2:50 that afternoon.

She said she “never” saw anything strange in the woods that day, but recalled she and her friend passed an “overweight” man on the bridge.

She said she took a few Snapchat photos of the afternoon and later told police where she was — she also said she never saw Richard Allen.

The second and final witness to testify Thursday was Teresa Liebert. Liebert lives near the bridge and said she saw someone “strange” near mailboxes close to her house. She also said she reported it to police.

The defense said at the end of the day that they were working out exactly how they will move forward on calling witnesses as they wait on Special Judge Frances Gull to rule on a few key motions.

However, Gull ruled that she will allow jurors to hear about Allen’s Google search history, but denied a request to let the jury see photos of him from before he was arrested.

Day 13 – Full Blog | Nov. 1, 2024

Friday in court was filled with long testimonies from multiple defense witnesses. The defense’s first witness was Ofc. Christopher Gootee. He is a police officer in Hammond, Indiana, with a background as an EMT. He was also with an FBI gang response task force that focused on kidnappings, also known as GRIT.

Following a 9-minute long sidebar by the state, Gootee explained to the jury the importance of interviewing witnesses and suspects, and said GRIT helped in the Delphi investigation for over a week. He said he interviewed Brad Weber about where he went after work on Feb. 13, 2017. The defense asked Gootee what an FBI 302 was, which is a report from an interview, but Gootee said he didn’t know what Weber said despite viewing the report in court.

Next called to the stand was Dr. Deanna Dwenger, oversees the Department of Behavioral Health at the Indiana Department of Corrections. Her main job is to oversee the IDOC’s contract with the contractor who actually staffs IDOC’s behavioral team.

Dwenger said she generally knew who Richard Allen was, but did not personally know him, and didn’t know who transferred him out of Westville Correctional Facility or knows who did. She also confirmed Dr. Monica Wala, the assigned psychologist for Allen, told her after she was assigned to Allen that she had a special interest in his case. Dwenger also knew Wala listened to podcasts that discussed the Delphi Murders and knew Wala had visited the Monon High Bridge, which she told the jury she thought was unusual.

Note: Allen was placed in Westville Correctional Facility in late 2022 and transferred December 2023. He was in solitary confinement for 13 months.

She said she was familiar with Dr. Martin, Allen’s psychiatrist at Westville, and said Allen was assigned a “D” code in mental health. A “D” code means a person would benefit from a specific and personal therapy treatment plan. Dwenger told the jury she didn’t know why Allen was in Westville, and said during her cross-examination by the state that Allen was not severely mentally ill until he was in Westville.

She said she was first contacted about Allen in April 2023, when Wala asked her if Allen could meet with his wife. Dwenger also said Wala told her Allen was “faking it.” Eventually, Dwenger said Allen’s condition got to a point where it didn’t matter if he was faking being “gravely ill,” and they had to intervene. Dwenger explained Haldol shots to the jury, which help with psychosis symptoms. “Gravelly ill” is a symptom of psychosis.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi objected, saying that was a leading question, and the state asked for a sidebar. News 8’s Kyla Russell noted Special Judge Fran Gull appeared frustrated by this. The state objected again after Rozzi asked another question. After they finished, the jury asked questions about mental illness treatment in DOC, Allen’s condition, and if a person could slip in truth of a confession even when faking it. Court recessed for a quick break.

After the break, an immediate sidebar took place before the jury entered. The defense’s next witness was Max Baker, an IU graduate and intern with the defense who’s worked on the case since 2022. He hold the jury he heard Master Trooper Brian Harshman’s testimony, and also reviewed most of Allen’s phone calls and videos from Westville. Baker said he was asked to compile video of Allen at Westville and put it on a flash drive.

The prosecution was continually objecting by this point.

Baker explained he gave the video to the state as part of the discovery, and said there were two main video formats: Camcorder video and security camera video. The camcorder has sound and was outside Allen’s cell while the security camera was inside and didn’t record audio. Camcorder video didn’t have a timestamp, Baker said, and added the security camera footage was from the 15th of every month Allen was in Westville. This is excluding April to July 2023, where there was more video than just on the 15th.

The defense asked to admit the video, and the prosecution objected. There was another sidebar, then court recessed briefly. Upon returning, the defense immediately asked for a sidebar. The sidebar lasted 10 minutes before the jury returned to the courtroom.

Baker then told the court there was an issue with the videos of Allen because the prosecution provided them to the defense without the needed timestamps.

Judge Gull then told the jury they would break for lunch until 1 p.m.

During the break, the defense requested an FBI Special Agent Adam Pohl be allowed to testify remotely. Pohl, currently working in San Antonio, Texas, was previously assigned to Indiana.

Court returned at 1:05 p.m., with Brad Heath coming to the stand to testify. Heath, 70, worked for Reliable Exterminators before retiring in 2019. He described doing a job at a company called Anderson’s on Feb. 13, 2017. Rozzi handed Heath a report that showed what Heath while at that stop. The report referred to Heath that morning seeing a vehicle half-way down the road parked off the street near the CPS building by the Monon Trail. According to Heath, the vehicle was still there that afternoon.

He said the car looked old and out-of-place, which prompted him to speak to law enforcement a week after the murders.

After Heath left the stand, David McCain stepped in. McCain has lived in Delphi for 20 years and was a project manager for the Monon High Bridge Trail.

McCain said he was on the trail around 2 or 3 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017, adding that he saw no other cars there. He used a camera to take photos while he walked, and said he only saw a few people on the trail. He left just before 4 p.m., noting he was surprised by the amount of people at the Mears entrance. He said someone asked him if he’d seen the girls as he was leaving. After learning the girls were missing, he called the sheriff’s office to say he was at the bridge that day. Two FBI agents and an ISP agent interviewed him at his house, and he said he gave them the pictures and SIM card from his camera.

After brief cross-examination, the defense’s 8th witness testified. Delphi Fire Chief Darrell Sterrett has been a firefighter for 36 years, and was the chief on Feb. 13, 2017. He described learning the girls were missing and helping direct the search through dispatch. He said six volunteer firefighters were on the bridge searching that night. He was on the scene searching until 2:30 a.m. Feb. 14.

Sterrett said he ordered a search north, south, east and west of the bridge. In a deposition he said there may have been higher intensity lights from vehicles, but he was not sure. He said that he could hear people during the search but never heard shouting. He later told the jury he didn’t personally search the area southeast of the cemetery.

The final three testimonies of Friday were from Steve Mullin, former Delphi police chief, and Tobe Leasenby, former Carroll County sheriff. Both men were involved in the 2017 investigation.

Mullin’s first question from the defense: How important would you say it is to preserve evidence?

Mullin said it was important to everyone, prompting the defense to ask if it was important to notify the defense if there was missing evidence. This led to an objection and sidebar of the prosecution and defense at Judge Gull’s bench.

After they returned to questioning, Mullin said he admitted dozens of interviews, but learned in August that videos were lost and later recovered without audio. Questioning then focused on Brad Weber, who owns the property where the girls were killed. Mullin said he met with Weber in August 2024 but didn’t record the interview. “I could have but I didn’t,” Mullin said.

Weber had testified Wednesday (Day 11) that he worked the first shift at Subaru near Lafayette and was at work on Feb. 13, 2017, the day of the murders. Weber said he was at work from 5:41 a.m. to 2:02 p.m., and his drive home was approximately 20-25 minutes.

Mullin admitted there were some inconsistencies with Weber’s interview. He also said he only believed one person was involved in the murders since Allen was arrested, adding that “it didn’t matter” if he thought there were more.

Later, Mullin was asked about a camera at the trail, which was west of where the girls were found. The former police chief said the camera recorded video but no audio. On Feb. 14, 2017, in the “wee hours,” Mullin said, “It showed that there was someone in front of the camera on the day that the search was taking place. The person was in front of the trail cam.”

He answered other questions about his thoughts on the case and if Allen confessed to the killings before moving to Westville. Mullin said Allen didn’t. After questions from the jury, Tobe Leasenby took the stand.

Leasenby testified he’s always thought only one person was involved in the girl’s deaths. Defense attorney Baldwin, however, noted Leasenby’s August 2023 deposition, and Leasenby replied, “Trial information was multiple or at least two.”

Baldwin asked Leasenby, “You felt 10 months after his (Allen’s) arrest that at least two people were involved?”

That drew three objections from the prosecution team. Special Judge Fran Gull overruled the last objection.

Leasenby said Detective Tony Liggett, who is the current Carroll County sheriff, believed more than one killer was involved, based on a 2017 conversation.

“Why did they think that?” Baldwin asked.

“It was based upon the totality of the information provided to investigators at that time period,” Leasenby said. He later affirmed Liggett didn’t have the details.

Motions addressed Friday

Next came a motion from the defense to have inmates in Indiana Department of Correction facilities to be transported. The defense also noted its latest motion to admit evidence of Odinism, a modern pagan religion and an Old Norse religion. A third motion asked for a witness, an FBI special agent who is out of state on assignment, to appear remotely.

The judge granted a motion for inmate Jesse James to be transported to the courtroom in Delphi.

She denied the motion to allow testimony about Odinism.

Gull also denied any witnesses via videoconferencing.

Day 14 – Full Blog | Nov. 2, 2024

The jury on Saturday viewed 10 camcorder videos taken of Richard Allen while he was in Westville Correctional Facility during April 2023. The videos were compiled by defense intern Max Baker, who also made a master spreadsheet categorizing the footage.

According to News 8’s Kyla Russell, four of the videos contained nudity and another of the videos showed Allen being transported and receiving medical treatment. No audio was played.

State prosecutor Nick McLeland objected to the videos’ being allowed in court, but Special Judge Fran Gull admitted them. The courtroom TV was turned away from the general public and media area during the viewing, so only the jury, Judge Gull, and the attorneys could see. Richard Allen was not able to see the footage.

Jury members were left shocked by the videos’ content, with many wearing wide-eyed expressions. Russell noted Allen’s defense attorney Jennifer Auger held her head in her hands, or watched with her hand over her mouth. At one point, Auger looked away.

Following a short recess, the videos were paused to allow Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter to testify. According to Russell, he was only on the stand for around 10 minutes. Carter explained his role in the Delphi Murders investigation, and confirmed that he released the FBI from the investigation in August 2021. He said it was his decision to do so, and requested the FBI return all evidence in their possession. Carter was then released from his subpoena.

After Carter left the stand, the jury watched five more videos taken of Allen from May 13 and June 20 of 2023. McLeland renewed his objection and the court viewed the footage anyway.

Multiple jurors sat uncomfortably during the videos, while others took notes. Auger and defense attorney Andrew Baldwin were seen looking away or shaking their heads. Baldwin was seen speaking with Allen with his arm around his shoulders, speaking to him quietly. Allen was taking notes and shaking his head.

The videos ended around 11:50 a.m. Saturday. Upon questioning from the defense, Max Baker said he created a similar spreadsheet and flash drive for videos of Allen taken from the security camera in his cell. McLeland said he would hold off on his cross-examination of Becker until all the videos were watched.

Court adjourned just before noon.

Day 15 – Live Blog | Nov. 4, 2024

Monday’s court session featured testimonies from Richard Allen’s sister, daughter, neuropsychologist, and several others. The jury also viewed two video compilations of footage taken from Allen’s security camera inside his cell at Westville Correctional Facility.

The first witness was Dr. Polly Westcott, a neuropsychologist based out of Carmel who performed a psychological evaluation on Allen while in prison. Westcott shared the process of her assessment, which she performed over two days. She came to six conclusions:

• Allen has an extensive history of mental health issues
• Allen was not faking or exaggerating his symptoms
• Allen is slower to understand, process, and respond to things
• Allen experienced a complete mental health decrease in Westville
• Allen has major depressive disorder and slipped into psychosis due to stress
• Allen’s brain chemistry was changed while in prison, due to no contact with wife and family

She also mentioned that Allen has had severe anxiety and depression through his childhood and adulthood, and has struggled with suicidal ideation. She also commented on previous reports from Dr. Monica Wala, Allen’s psychologist in Westville, saying that Wala’s summaries of Allen’s murder confessions were “story-like,” and that videos of Allen around the same time weren’t logical.

Following questions from the prosecution about Allen’s mental health, the jury chimed in with their own questions. One of the questions asked was if Allen was depressed as a child if it would cause him to commit crimes as an adult. Westcott said no and it depended on the personality type.

After a short break, the jury viewed two video compilations of footage taken from the security camera inside Allen’s solitary confinement cell. The courtroom TV was faced away from the gallery, so only the jury, Special Judge Fran Gull, and the witness stand could see. The defense and prosecution had to move closer to see. Richard Allen did not watch the videos.

The videos ended, leaving jurors with raised brows and throwing glances at Allen. State prosecutor Nick McLeland commented that the defense intern Max Baker, who had compiled the footage, showed “what he viewed as his worst condition in Westville” and that Baker “showed the jury (the video) to try to show that Richard Allen is the victim.”

A back-and-forth ensued between Baker, McLeland, and defense attorney Brad Rozzi. Rozzi eventually jumped in to ask: “You picked what you picked to show them the truth?”

Baker said, “Yes.”

After multiple objections and another snippy back-and-forth, court recessed for lunch around 12:22 p.m.

Court’s afternoon session began with testimonies were from Jaime Jones, Allen’s half-sister, and Brittany Zapanta, Allen’s daughter.

Before Jones was called to speak, Judge Gull said the report from Westcott was “totem pole hearsay” and explained that unless the state can cite specific hearsay, she’ll admit the report.

The jury entered the courtroom, and Jones approached the witness stand. Jones said Richard Allen was five years her senior and they lived together through childhood. She told the jury Allen never touched her inappropriately. She told defense attorney Jennifer Auger she loved her brother, but would never lie for him.

Prosecutor James Luttrell started his cross examination, asking Jones if “the name Chris rang a bell?” Auger objected as they were discussing other neighborhood kids while Allen and Jones were growing up. The objection was sustained, and Luttrell moved on.

Jones left the stand and was replaced by Brittany Zapanta. Allen was reportedly nodding his head as she took the stand.

Zapanta said she moved out of the family home in 2015 for a job. She attended Ball State then went to Indianapolis. She currently works in urgent care. The defense asked her the same question they asked Jones: “Did your father molest you?” and “Would you lie for him?”

Zapanta said “no” to both questions.

Luttrell stepped in for his cross, asking if she and her father went to the Monon Trail and the High Bridge often. Auger objected to both questions.

The first was sustained, the second overruled. Zapanta then said she went to the bridge with her dad but only crossed it once or twice. He asked if Allen changed his appearance after she left for Ball State, and she said no. Luttrell asked about Allen’s height and weight, and Auger objected.

He then showed Zapanta photos of her father. Auger approached the bench, and after the sidebar ends, Luttrell showed Zapanta more photos and asked if specific ones looked like her dad in February 2017. Zapanta said yes.

The gallery did not see the pictures.

Auger objected to the photos, saying they were outside the scope of questioning and there was another sidebar. Gull sustained the objections.

The jury asked Zapanta about her visits to the bridge, and she confirms she only visited it and crossed the bridge with her dad a few times in her teens.

The reporter noted Allen was seen smiling as Zapanta left the stand.

The next set of witnesses were Shelby Hicks, a realtor who was on the trail on the day of the murders, and Steve Mullin, the former Delphi police chief.

Hicks said she took her car for repairs and went for a hike with her boyfriend. They arrived there at 2:30 p.m. and parked in the connector lot. She told attorney Andrew Baldwin that there were other cars parked there, as well.

Hicks said while they were walking, they saw an “older gentleman,” two girls from school, and a few other kids. She also saw an older man with a camera, and she said hi to the girls from high school.

They were there for around 15 – 20 minutes before they returned to her car. The next day, Hicks said her boyfriend wanted to tell law enforcement what they saw, but when they went to police, they were asked to come back at another time. Hicks said she met with law enforcement twice, in February and March 2017. Her cell phone data was never extracted.

She later said during her cross examination that she never walked across the high bridge and left the platform before her friends returned.

Steve Mullin was then called to the stand. The defense showed him a list of white Ford Focus SEs registered in Cass, Carroll, and Tippecanoe counties between 2011 and 2017. Baldwin said these were cars similar to Allen’s. Prosecutor McLeland objected, but Baldwin continued.

Baldwin asked if he knew how many people owned cars similar to Allen’s in Carroll County and the surrounding area. Mullin said no. Baldwin commented that Mullin created a log of missing interviews, but said Mullin didn’t say that at the hearings in March. Mullin admitted there was no log at that time, but he has since found it.

Baldwin asked if Mullin had investigated if there were any mentions of a van on social media. Mullin said no, which Baldwin remarks there were “many mentions of a van.”

The final testimony from Brad Weber, a Delphi resident who owned the property where Libby German and Abby Williams were killed. He had testified earlier in the trial and became frustrated with the court after questioning what he did after work on Feb. 13, 2017. The reporter noted Weber seemed “extremely disheveled” on Monday.

Defense’s Andrew Baldwin handed Weber a transcript of an interview he did with the FBI in February 2017. Baldwin then asked Weber about his ATM machine business, which Weber said he made money off of them through surcharges. He couldn’t remember how many ATMs he had during 2017.

Weber said he attended to his ATMs daily, checking how much money they have and gets the money from the bank. He said his ATMs were in gas stations, bars, restaurants, etc. He said he used a black Subaru to drive around and service his ATMs.

He added that on the day of the murders, he went straight home from his other job at the Subaru plant near Lafayette, and the “only time I used my van was when I was pulling a trailer.” Weber’s white Ford Econoline van was brought to question during his previous testimony, as News 8’s Kyla Russell has mentioned that Richard Allen kidnapped the girls and became scared after seeing a van, which pushed him to kill them. The van has not been directly connected to Weber.

Baldwin asked Weber if trespassers ever when onto his party, to which he said yes. He also said he didn’t hear any screaming on that day. Weber added he gave law enforcement permission to search his house but it wasn’t on Feb. 13, 2017.

McLeland’s cross-examination was short, but the jury asked Weber several questions about his ATMs, his route home, the process of clocking out of work, and if any of his ATMs would have photo or video of servicing.

The jury left the courtroom, and the defense said they planned to have former State Trooper Kevin Murphy testify and that he would have said that incident command always said there were more than one person involved in the investigation. The prosecution objected to that testimony. Baldwin also said he had an offer of proof for third party suspects, and Gull answered, “We’ve had this discussion a thousand times, you have no evidence to tie these people to the crime.”

Day 16 – Full Blog | Nov. 5, 2024

Tuesday’s first testimony came from Betsey Blair, a witness who told police she saw “Bridge Guy” on the Monon High Bridge in Delphi. She said she went to the trails two times on Feb. 13, 2017, but left for good around 2:15 p.m. She told the jury she left through the Mears entrance, turned left, and saw one vehicle in the CPS lot. It was backed into the parking spot and not a bright color, according to Blair.

She told the defense she only saw the side of the vehicle and couldn’t tell if it was a hatchback like Richard Allen’s vehicle. After a brief cross examination, Blair told the jury the CPS building was abandoned so it couldn’t have belonged to an employee or someone inside.

Next on the stand was Dr. Stuart Grassian. Grassian is Harvard-educated and has been on faculty at the Harvard University School of Medicine for 25 years. He said he has a special interest in what solitary confinement does to someone’s mental health. He has interviewed hundreds of people in those conditions.

Grassian reviewed reports from Allen’s psychologist in Westville, Dr. Monica Wala, and said Allen met the requirements for slipping into psychosis and given his environment and lack of mental stimulus. He also said solitary confinement can cause behaviors noted from Allen, like smearing feces and acting out sexually. He also said the conditions can always impact memory and define the difference between solitary and protective custody. He later told the jury that a normal person could absolutely become psychotic after being in solitary confinement for more than 6 months.

Grassian left the stand and the defense called Dr. Eric Warren, a toolmark specialist based out of Memphis.

He said he was asked by the defense to review toolmark conclusions made by Melissa Oberg, a former firearms analyst who examined the bullet found by Libby and Abby’s bodies and Richard Allen’s gun. He described the different characteristics of a bullet, including class, subclass, and individual, and explained the difference between cycling and firing a bullet.

Warren then confirmed that Oberg used a fired round to compare the cycled round to, which he said wasn’t right as it isn’t repeatable and reproducible, and also produce different markings on the cartridge.

Prosecutor James Luttrell began his cross examination, asking if Warren only looking at the report and photos and not physical evidence would impact his ability to draw conclusions. But Warren disagreed.

He said Oberg didn’t examine the actual extractor in the gun to determine if there were potential subclass characteristics.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi then showed Warren a picture of triangular marks on the cartridge, which are ejector marks. He says those were “hallmark of subclass characteristics.”

After a short break, Rozzi continued questioning Warren, asking about characteristics of firearms, including force of the slide, if there was research on slide integrity over time, and the quality of the Sig Sauer. He said the slide force was a “blueprint characteristic” and the Sig Sauer should maintain integrity over time.

Luttrell began his cross-examination, asking Warren about cartridge characteristics. After back-and-forth about cartridges, where Luttrell was “hammering into Warren on why he didn’t request or physically examine the cartridge and gun,” Rozzi asked if Warren wrote a report. He said no, but said he was available to the defense when they wanted to depose him, but he was in Morocco.

The jury asked Warren 16 questions. Here are a few:

• Would individual markings be different depending on who cycles? Warren says, “documentation of Oberg does not support conclusion.”
• What are the chances that the cartridge at the scene matches the test bullets? Warren says, “higher likelihood of guns just in Indiana.”
• Would removing, cleaning, disassembling change individual characteristics of a firearm? Warren says, “No, only if there was some sort of damage.”

The next witness was Stacy Eldridge, an expert in computer information management. She examined Libby German’s cell phone after Indiana State Police’s investigation.

She explained what tools she used to examine the phone, primarily Axiom opposed to ISP’s use of Cellebrite. She told the jury there were three level 6 extractions you can do for pulling data, each of them pulling a different amount of information. Libby’s extraction from early 2017 only covered basic information.

Eldridge said ISP had the capacity to do a full extraction in early 2017, but didn’t until later that year. She said this caused issues and caused the loss of “current power log” data, which stays saved between a phone being turned all the way off and on.

Eldridge says that log can also say if the phone went into airplane mode. She said her priority was figuring out what was going on with the phone at 4:34 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2017 to make the phone receive multiple text messages.

After a brief sidebar from Judge Gull, Eldridge left the witness stand to discuss her report on Libby’s phone. She said she generally agrees with the state expert’s examination, but there are things she disagrees with about Libby’s examination. She didn’t agree with some of the times, texts, calls, and FaceTimes delivered between Feb. 13 – 14.

Eldridge said Libby’s phone last connection time was Feb. 14 at 4:33 a.m. and before that, 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 13, and said there is evidence messages weren’t received during that time period. Some texts did have time stamps, but weren’t received until Feb. 17.

Eldridge said she doesn’t know why the phone did not ping in that time frame, even though it was under Abby’s back and was stationary. She said, “I can only conclude something external happened to the phone,” meaning it could have been moved, blocked by metal or have been blocked from the tower.

She said she now knows that at 5:45 p.m. to 10:32 p.m. on Feb. 13, the phone had wired headphones plugged in.

At 3:09 p.m., prosecutor Nick McLeland starts cross-examination. He asked Eldridge about her training on cell phone extraction. She said this is the first time she has testified about cell phone extraction, other than in July.

She said she mainly focused on the phone’s health data, and also reviewed the Bridge Guy video. She said that the phone wouldn’t have logged movement if it were in a car, and couldn’t find evidence that the phone was turned off. Libby’s phone appeared to be “hopping in and out of service.” She added that phone movement to plug in headphones could have registered as health data, but she didn’t test that, and there could have been a signal blocking on the phone.

The jury asked Eldridge six questions, including if she wrote her own timeline for the cell data, if it could be connected to Libby’s iPad, and if she could review Allen’s location timeline if he was using a phone. She said she didn’t have time to make a timeline, the iPad and phone weren’t synced, and she could track Allen’s timeline if it was available.

The last session Tuesday began with Gull scolding the jury for talking and said she would kick out anyone talking in court.

The final two witnesses were ISP First Sgt. Chris Cecil and ISP Lt. Brian Bunner. The defense asked Cecil to explain an “audio output start,” but he said he didn’t know and also didn’t have the knowledge to explain why a cell phone would or wouldn’t connect to a cell tower.

McLeland began his cross examination, starting by saying he Googled a question the jury asked to Eldridge. They asked if a phone made contact with water, would the phone register it as movement? According to Google, a phone could register water or dirt in the headphone port as having headphones plugged in.

The defense redirects, asking Cecil if he Googles things while conducting a criminal investigation. Cecil said he didn’t and normally looks over peer-reviewed research.

The defense asked, “You and the state have had 7.5 years to research this?”

“That’s correct,” Cecil said.

Brian Bunner came to the stand, and also said he didn’t know what “audio output start” was and didn’t perform any Google searches.

Court adjourned at 4:25 p.m.

Day 17 – Full Blog | Nov. 5, 2024

The defense rested its case somewhat unexpectedly on Thursday as several expected witnesses did not take the stand. It also opted against putting suspect Richard Allen on the stand.

Judge Gull asked the defense to call their next witness and was told, “Your honor, we rest our case.”

The prosecution was asked to call its rebuttal witnesses. ln total, three were called, including psychiatrist Dr. John Martin, who treated Allen while he was at Westville Correctional Unit.

Martin, who has more than four decades of experience in corrections, told the court he was aware of Allen’s mental health history and that, when their sessions began in the fall of 2022, Allen was not showing symptoms of psychosis.

When Allen began showing signs of psychosis — smearing feces, washing with toilet water — Martin prescribed injections of Haldol (Haloperidol), an antipsychotic drug commonly used to treat schizophrenia. The shots were administered every four weeks.

Dr. Martin described a gradual shift in Allen’s behaviors between April and June 2023 and told the jury that Allen’s psychosis had faded by early May. He said Allen became aware of where he was and started sleeping, eating, and talking on the phone with his wife. Earlier testimony indicated Allen was psychotic for every confession he made.

Martin also said that Allen “was not in a state of psychosis” in June when Allen told him he wanted to “apologize to the families of the victims.”

The defense showed the jury a camcorder video of Allen on June 20. Their goal was to prove Allen wasn’t coherent that day, according to News 8’s Kyla Russell.

The jury heard again from Indiana State Police Master Trooper Brian Harshman, who reviewed over 700 phone calls made by Richard Allen while in custody.

Harshman said he also reviewed videos of Allen – including recent ones taped from his time inside the Cass County Jail since the trial started — and told the court Allen has threatened to kill officers there. He also confirmed Allen has been held alone in all of his facilities, including Cass County.

Previous witness Breann Wilbur also returned to the witness stand. Wilbur was on the Monon High Bridge trails the day the girls went missing. She said again that she did not see “Bridge Guy” or any kids.

The court adjourned Wednesday afternoon and would return Thursday morning.

Day 18 – Full Blog | Nov. 7, 2024

Thursday’s court session started with 58 minutes of closing arguments from Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland — the man trying to convince jurors that Richard Allen murdered murdered Abby and Libby.

McLeland again showed the jury an audio-enhanced “Bridge Guy” video, taken by Libby moments before the girls died. Bridge Guy orders the girls, “down the hill,” and Libby said “that be a gun.”

News 8’s Kyla Russell says McLeland reminded the jury of the many witnesses who say they saw Bridge Guy on Feb. 13, 2017.

The state again laid out their timeline leading to Allen’s arrest and noted what they call incriminating items found inside Allen’s home just before his arrest in 2022 — more than 5 years after the deaths.

Inside the house, McLeland said, they found “a Bridge Guy starter kit” – complete with a handgun they say matched an unspent round found between the girls.

Allen’s prison confessions are another linchpin in their argument. McLeland played the calls again, noting when Allen told his wife, “I did it. Just know I did it.”

McLeland told the jury that Bridge Guy “stole the youth and life” from Libby and Abby.

“I believe the evidence is firmly convincing that Richard Allen is Bridge Guy and he killed Abby and Libby,” McLeland told the jury.

After 58 minutes, he finished his closing argument.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi was next.

Rozzi acknowledged the girls’ families and the suffering they have experienced over the last seven years, but he said that Richard Allen’s life was ruined, too.

He showed the jury graphic photos of Allen inside Westville covered in feces and pictures of medieval torture tools. He told the jury if they convict Allen they would be “endorsing that behavior.”

Rozzi outlined what he says are the four main themes in the case: a broken timeline, bumbled ballistics, false confessions, and digital forensics.

He said the defense’s case for his innocence was easy to make as it centered on the state’s clumsy investigation. Time and time again, Rozzi said, Allen’s defense team had to do the job of investigators.

He cited missing interviews, a yearslong delay in DNA testing, changing timelines, and shotty firearm toolkit science as reasons the investigation fell fall short.

Rozzi again noted there is no DNA evidence or digital evidence to tie Richard Allen to the scene.

After speaking for an hour and 17 minutes, Rozzi ended his argument with a clear message to the jury: you must find Allen innocent.

The court then adjourned for lunch.

When court went back into session, McLeland gave his rebuttal to the defense’s closing argument.

McLeland began by telling the court it’s been a long three or four weeks and that now it’s time to hand the case over to the jury. He reminded the jurors, “You’re in the driver’s seat. I’m not up here to tell you how to feel.”

He said that the defense did not back up their claims and that the prosecution has witnesses who were on the trail that day and they simply reaffirm that Allen was there. He told the jury that Melissa Oberg’s testing of the cartridge found at the scene linked Allen to the crimes.

In closing, McLeland said there were two victims in the case, Abby and Libby. “They are Allen’s victims. But they aren’t just victims, they are heroes.”

After the rebuttal, Judge Gull gave the jury instructions. She said their decision must be “beyond a reasonable doubt,” not “beyond all possible doubt.” She said the burden is on the state to prove that.

Gull told the jury if they are left with two interpretations, they must choose one that sides with innocence.

After giving instructions to the jurors, the jurors were given about two hours to deliberate before the court session ended for the day.

Day 19 – Full Blog | Nov. 8, 2024

Jurors spent all day Friday in the Carroll County courthouse deciding whether or not suspect Richard Allen is guilty of the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German.

The prosecution and defense concluded their cases on Wednesday, delivering their closing arguments on Thursday. The jury began deliberations late Thursday.

There will be 15 jurors in the room — the 12 who will decide whether Richard Allen is guilty in the murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German, along with three alternates.

Deliberations could take hours or days. The 12-member jury (three alternates excluded) must reach a unanimous verdict.

If they have reasonable doubt Allen committed the murders, they are instructed to find him not guilty.

If they believe he committed the murders, they are instructed to find him guilty.

If the jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the trial could end in a mistrial.

Deliberations will continue Monday if jurors do not reach a verdict on Saturday.

Day 20 – Full Blog | Nov. 9, 2024

The jury wrapped up deliberations on Saturday after five hours.

At one point, the jury asked Richard Allen’s defense team for another look at some of the evidence they presented.

Special Judge Frances Gull said the evidence could only be displayed one time.

The court did not say what evidence the jury wanted to review.

News 8’s Kyla Russell says Allen and his defense team were seen leaving the courthouse just before 2 p.m. Sunday. It was unclear why the group departed.

There will be 15 jurors in the room again on Monday — the 12 who will decide whether Richard Allen is guilty in the murders of Abby and Libby, along with three alternates.

Deliberations could take hours or days. The 12-member jury (three alternates excluded) must reach a unanimous verdict.

If they have reasonable doubt Allen committed the murders, they are instructed to find him not guilty.

If they believe he committed the murders, they are instructed to find him guilty.

If the jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the trial could end in a mistrial.

Deliberations will continue Tuesday if a verdict is not reached on Monday.

Day 21 | Richard Allen found guilty on all counts

Delphi Murders suspect Richard Allen was found guilty on all four charges after 21 days in one of the most high-profile trials in Indiana history.

Allen was found guilty on two counts of felony murder and two counts of murder for the 2017 deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.

The verdict was announced just after 2 p.m. Monday after several hours in court throughout the morning.

News 8’s Kyla Russell says Allen will be sentenced Dec. 20. A gag order is in place until the sentencing, meaning Allen, lawyers, families, and witnesses will not be allowed to speak on the verdict. A post-verdict press conference has been canceled, per the Indiana State Police.