Attorneys for Richard Allen file new brief seeking to overturn his conviction in Delphi murders
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals in their effort to overturn his case.
Richard Allen was sentenced to 130 years in prison for the deaths of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.
Their bodies were found in 2017, but Allen was not arrested until 2022.
Allen's attorneys said in their latest brief this week that the court made serious mistakes during his trial, and did not allow a complete defense.
The motion is part of an appeal filed by Allen's defense team in December. Among other things, the appeal says the trial court should not have admitted evidence from what the defense called an unconstitutional search of Allen's home, and should not have admitted statements Allen made while "gravely disabled" as he was being held in solitary confinement.
During the trial, the jury spent about 19 hours deliberating over three days before finding Allen guilty of all counts.
Police spent years searching for a suspect, investigating thousands of leads, and releasing multiple composite sketches of the suspect based on eyewitness accounts.