Hearings in Delphi murder case postponed after defense asks for disqualification of judge
Three days of hearings scheduled for this week in the case of the man accused in the 2017 Delphi killings have been canceled.
Richard Allen’s defense team filed multiple motions asking to delay the hearings, stating they needed more time to process evidence handed over from the prosecution last week.
Special Judge Frances Gull had originally sided with prosecutors, who argued the hearings should go forward as scheduled. She then canceled the hearings after the defense team filed a motion to disqualify her as the judge overseeing the case.
The defense team has filed similar motions in the past, including one that asked the judge to recuse herself from the case. The defense team filed the new motion Friday.
From last week: Judge won't postpone Delphi murder suspect's hearings; defense asks judge to step down
“As the court is now required to review and rule upon the 42-page pleading, the court is compelled to cancel the pretrial hearing previously set with counsels' agreement,” Gull wrote in her order canceling this week’s hearings.
It’s the second time this month hearings on several motions in the case have been moved back.
Allen's trial was originally set to begin this week with jury selection in Allen County. The 51-year-old, who worked and lived in the Delphi area, is charged in the killings of two teen girls.
Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13, and Liberty "Libby" German, 14, were in eighth grade when they went for a walk on the Delphi Historic Trails on the afternoon of Feb. 13, 2017. The girls never returned to a prearranged pickup spot, and searchers found their bodies the next day in a wooded area not far from the Monon High Bridge.
Five and half years later, in October 2022, Allen was arrested in their deaths. Investigators have alleged an unfired bullet at the crime scene was ejected from Allen's semiautomatic pistol.
More previous coverage: Delphi murder trial delayed after Richard Allen's defense says trial window too small
The man’s defense attorneys have alleged that a group of Odinists killed Abby and Libby during a sacrificial ritual in the woods and that Allen has no ties to the group. Allen's defense team has said in court filings that detectives overlooked other clues and potential suspects as the investigation focused on Allen.
The killing of the two girls shook the small Indiana city, and interest in the case spread around the world as the years stretched on before Allen was arrested. The case has become a popular topic for true crime podcasts, documentaries and social media speculation.
Gull was set to hear arguments for several motions at this week’s hearings, including one from prosecutors asking the judge to prevent testimony about Odinism, cult or ritualistic killing and other pieces of evidence from being presented to the jury.
At the hearings this week, the defense was expected to argue in favor of suppressing anything Allen said on Oct. 26, 2022, during an interview with a lieutenant from Indiana State Police.
It’s not clear when the hearings will be rescheduled. The trial for Allen is set to begin Oct. 15, court records show.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips and Lafayette Journal & Courier reporter Ron Wilkins contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Hearings this week in Richard Allen Delphi murder case postponed
