Prosecution in Delphi murders trial seeks to ban suspect sketches
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Prosecutors in the murder trial of Richard Allen, the Delphi man who is accused of killing two teenagers, has asked the court to prohibit the sketches used by investigators.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland requested that the widely circulated police sketches not be admitted or referenced in the trial, which begins this week.
News 8’s Kyla Russell reports that there will be a hearing in Allen County on Thursday regarding the sketches.
McLeland told the court in a motion in that the sketches should not be admitted for the reason that ‘a composite sketch is not relevant, admission would result in undue prejudice, confuse or mislead the jury, or is impermissible hearsay, and the witnesses who participated in the preparation of composite sketch(s) will not be presented by the state for the purpose of in-court identification of the defendant.’
McLeland also argues that the sketches were intended as an investigative tool to generate leads and were not related to the identification of Allen. He also argues that the persons who assisted in the preparation of the sketches did not see the person depicted in the sketches for a sufficient length of time to positively identify Allen.
Allen, 52, is charged with murder and murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping in the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German. The girls’ bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi on Feb. 14, 2017, a day after they went missing.
This story is developing, News 8 will continue to provide updates as information is provided.