Attorneys for Delphi murders suspect want search of his home suppressed

DELPHI, Ind. (WNDU) - The attorneys representing the man accused of murdering two teenage girls in Delphi more than six years ago are requesting that evidence collected from his home during a search warrant be suppressed.

Richard Allen was arrested last October and charged with the February 2017 murders of teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German. Their bodies were found near the Delphi Monon High Bridge on Feb. 14, 2017 — one day after they went missing.

According to our affiliate WPTA in Fort Wayne, Allen’s attorneys claim in a new filing that the search warrant was issued without probable cause and claim the search was unconstitutional. They claim Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett made “false and misleading representations with a reckless disregard for the truth” to the judge who issued the warrant.

Previous court documents released show a Sig Sauer Model P226 was removed from Allen’s home. As our sister station WTHR in Indianapolis reports, that Sig Sauer Model P226 is particularly significant to the case as police claim testing showed a bullet found at the crime scene was cycled through that gun.

Another document showed investigators believed a knife was used in the murders of German and Williams. According to court documents, an autopsy revealed the girls had been killed by a “sharp object.”

Detectives also found 15 hunting and utility knives, which were collected by investigators.

Cameras in the courtroom

Allen’s attorneys also filed a motion this week to allow broadcast cameras in the courtroom during any future court appearances, including his trial.

According to WTHR, Allen’s attorneys pointed to the attention the case is getting nationally and around the globe in the motion. It also points to Judge Fran Gull, the special judge assigned to Allen’s case out of Carroll County, having taken part in a pilot program in 2021 on cameras in the courtroom which reportedly found photojournalists were “professional in their coverage and presence.”

As WPTA reports, a new state law was enacted in May that allows cameras in the courtrooms. Under the rule, cameras are prohibited in court unless authorized by the judge. A judge may also revoke authorization at any time for any reason.

Allen is set to go to trial in January 2024.

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