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Attorneys for the so-called Delphi murder suspect have argued that hair found on the hands of murdered Abigail “Abby” Williams did not match the suspect’s DNA.
Richard Allen, 52, is charged with the murders of Abby, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, whose bodies were found near Delphi, Indiana, in 2017. . He was arrested in 2022 and is currently on trial in a shocking case that has shaken the public. Delphi’s small, close-knit community.
The surprising DNA claim was made Tuesday by defense attorney Andrew Baldwin during a “mini-opening statement” as jury selection in Allen’s long-awaited trial concluded. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Friday at the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi.
On Monday, Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McClelland filed a motion to suppress two police sketches of the “suspect” from the trial, saying they could be used to sway the jury.
Abby and Libby went missing while walking near the Monon High Bridge, an abandoned railroad bridge near Delphi, Indiana. Their bodies were later discovered along the road. They had sustained fatal stab wounds.
Authorities released an initial sketch of the suspect, known as “Bridge Guy,” in 2017 after receiving information from witnesses at the murder scene.
Libby German (left) and Abby Williams went missing while walking on a trail near the small town of Delphi, Indiana (Facebook)
The second sketch was released at a press conference in April 2019. Officials said the second sketch was necessary because of new information and intelligence. In that image, the suspect appears young. As a result, police updated the suspect’s description to a male between 18 and 40 years old.
“The composite sketches are not relevant, the confessions may invite unfair prejudice, confuse or mislead the jury, or are impermissible hearsay, and the witnesses who participated in the creation of the composite sketches may not be presented by the state for the purpose of… “The defendant’s court identification must be produced,” McCleland wrote in the filing.
A hearing will be held Thursday in Allen County, where Special Judge Francis Gall will rule on the sketch’s admissibility.
A mug shot of 52-year-old Richard Allen, who is scheduled to go on trial for murder this week (Indiana State Police).
Allen’s lawyer has maintained his innocence, suggesting the two teenagers died at the hands of a white supremacist pagan cult and saying the girls were killed as part of a “ritual sacrifice” by a group of Odinists. added. Lawyers are prohibited from mentioning cults during the trial.
Allen told investigators he was on the bridge the day the girls disappeared, but has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His parents’ home is less than a five-minute drive from where Libby and Abby’s bodies were found.
McCleland said the defense intends to use the sketches as “substantive evidence and for impeachment purposes.”
First crime composite sketch showing suspects connected to murder case created using eyewitness testimony (Indiana State Police)
McCleland wrote that the sketch had nothing to do with Allen’s capture. Witnesses who helped create the sketches testified that they did not see the individuals in the sketches long enough to identify the defendant.
Special Judge Francis Gall is scheduled to rule on the motion before the trial begins on Friday.
Libby and Abby went missing on February 13, 2017, after going hiking along the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, a small town of just 3,000 people.
Libby was able to capture a grainy video on her cell phone of a man wearing blue jeans, a blue jacket and a hat walking along an abandoned railway bridge. It is believed that the man seen in the video may be the girl’s killer.
A second criminal composite sketch created in 2019 showing a suspect involved in a murder. Police said a second sketch was needed after receiving new information (Indiana State Police)
In the video, a man can be heard telling the girls to “get down the hill.”
Authorities determined they suffered injuries “from a sharp object.”
An unfired bullet was found on the body, and investigators believe a gun was also involved in the crime.
