Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen's trial moved up to May
DELPHI, Ind. — Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen's trial now begins May 13 — a full five months earlier than his previously scheduled October trial date.
On March 6, Allen's attorneys filed for an earlier trial date. On March 7, Special Judge Frances Gull granted that motion with a signed order that was published Monday.
Allen is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of murder while kidnapping, and two counts of kidnapping.
He is accused of forcing Delphi teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German off the Monon High Bridge Trail on the afternoon of Feb. 13, 2017. Prosecutors accuse Allen of directing the girls to a spot about a quarter-of-a-mile from the bridge and killing them on the north banks of the Deer Creek.
Nearly six years after the girls' death, Allen was arrested in late October 2022 and charged with their killings.
Markings on an unfired semiautomatic bullet found at the crime scene matched tool markings from bullets ejected from Allen's pistol, according to prosecutors.
Allen's defense: Libby and Abby killed in Odinism ritual sacrifice
Allen's case has been a rollercoaster of legal sideshows, one of which is still scheduled to play out Monday in a contempt-of-court hearing in Fort Wayne to determine if Allen's attorneys should be sanctioned for their behavior during their defense of their client.
In October last year, Gull removed Allen's public defenders — Brad Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin — claiming they were grossly negligent in their defense of Allen. During a brief stint with new public defenders, Gull moved Allen's trial dates from January 2024 to October 2024.
But a review by the Indiana Supreme Court in January resulted in Rozzi and Baldwin being reinstated. They petitioned earlier this month to move up the court date.
The jury will be selected from Allen County, and then the jurors will be ferried to Delphi, where they will hear the case.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen's trial moved up to May
