Judge in Delphi murders case to bring in outside jury
DELPHI, Ind. (WISH) — The judge in the case of Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen says she will bring in a jury from another county to hear the trial.
Judge Frances Gull, a special judge from Allen County, told prosecutors and the defense Friday to get together to decide what county that should be.
Allen’s legal team in November filed a request for a change of venue, suggesting a site at least 150 miles away from Carroll County.
Allen, 50, of Delphi, was arrested on Oct. 28 for the February 2017 murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.
Gull set a February hearing date to hear arguments on whether Allen should be released on bail. He’s being held without bail.
Allen’s lawyers were also meeting privately with the judge to get approval for money to hire defense investigators.
The legal team was also expected to argue that Gull should force the prosecutor’s office to hand over a trove of evidence, including the names and names and addresses of confidential informants, all phone records and witness statements, and details on any electronic surveillance or recordings.
The defense laid out their request in a seven-page court filing, I-Team 8’s Richard Essex reported Monday.
“The lawyers want every police report connected to the murders. Allen’s court-appointed lawyers have the green light to hire a private investigator. This seven-page filing is the road map his lawyers plan to use in his defense…and the first step in the discovery phase of this case,” Essex wrote.
Throughout the hearing Allen remained silent. Investigators believe he is the man captured on cellphone video and audio ordering the girls to “get down the hill.” That video is part of what Gull calls a voluminous amount of evidence in this case, all of which is expected to be handed over to Allen’s lawyers. How and when the evidence is to be handed over remained in question.
”We will try and vet what is important and weed out the stuff that is not,” Rozzi said.
Gull was also expected to consider Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland’s request for a gag order in the case. A gag order would prohibit lawyers, law enforcement, court workers, the coroner’s office, and family members from discussing the case with the media.
