Delphi Murder Trial: Day 18 and Closing Arguments – Indianapolis News | Indiana weather | Indiana Traffic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Thursday is the 18th day of the trial of Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen at the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi.

Allen, 52, is charged with murder and murder while committing or attempting to commit a kidnapping that resulted in the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” Herman. The girls’ bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi on Feb. 14, 2017, a day after they went missing.

Allen was first investigated in 2017 and again in October 2022. After a second police interview, he was taken into custody.

The trial began on October 18 and is expected to last until mid-November. There were initially 16 Allen County residents serving as jurors in the case, but one juror was dismissed on Oct. 25.

The use of cameras in the courtroom is prohibited.

Tune in to News 8 and follow our daily live blogs throughout your trial to stay up to date with the latest news.

NOTE. The times shown in the blog titles are the times the posts were added. Specific court times will be noted in the records, if available. These notes are compiled from photographs of written notes provided by reporters in the courtroom and emailed to WISH-TV News Desk..

For a recap of day 17 of the Delphi murders trial (Wednesday), scroll to the bottom of the page.

To view all information about previous trials, Click hereand follow News 8’s Kayla Russell on X as she covers the trial live from Delphi.

9:00 Court session on Thursday.

After 17 days of testimony and evidence, jurors will hear from both the prosecution and defense when closing arguments begin Thursday morning.

Special Judge Frances Gall told jurors Wednesday they will hear several hours of closing arguments. The judge told each side they would have up to two and a half hours.

Both sides will only be able to talk about evidence and testimony that was admitted during the trial, meaning the defense team will not be allowed to mention Odinism or any third-party suspects they claim actually committed the murders.

Jurors will be given instructions at the conclusion of closing arguments. If they have reasonable doubt, they are tasked with finding Richard Allen. not guilty. If they believe Allen committed the murders, they are ordered to find him. guilty.

Then it will be up to the jury.

Discussions could take hours or days. A jury of 12 people (excluding three alternates) must make a unanimous decision. If they fail to do so, the lawsuit may end in a mistrial.

Summary of Day 17 of the Delphi Murders Case

The defense presented its case somewhat unexpectedly Thursday as several expected witnesses failed to take the stand. He also refused to bring suspect Richard Allen to trial.

Judge Gall asked the defense to call the next witness and was told, “Your Honor, we are withdrawing our case.”

The prosecution was asked to call witnesses for rebuttal. A total of three were called, including a psychiatrist Dr John Martinwho treated Allen while he was incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Unit.

Martin, who has more than four decades of corrections experience, told the court that he was aware of Allen’s mental health history and that Allen was not showing symptoms of psychosis when their sessions began in the fall of 2022.

When Allen began showing signs of psychosis—smearing feces, washing himself with toilet water—Martin prescribed injections Haldol (Haloperidol)an antipsychotic drug commonly used to treat schizophrenia. Vaccinations were given every four weeks.

Dr Martin described a gradual change in Allen’s behavior between April and June 2023 and told the jury that Allen’s psychosis had subsided by early May. He said Allen found out where he was and began sleeping, eating and talking on the phone to his wife. Earlier testimony indicated that each of Allen’s confessions was psychotic.

Martin also said Allen “was not in a psychotic state” in June when Allen told him he wanted to “apologize to the victims’ families.”

The defense showed jurors CCTV footage of Allen on June 20. According to News 8’s Kayla Russell, their goal was to prove Allen wasn’t consistent that day.

The jury again heard from the Indiana State Police chief. Brian Harshmanwho reviewed more than 700 phone calls made by Richard Allen while in custody.

Harshman said he also reviewed videos of Allen, including recent ones recorded while he was in the Cass County Jail since the trial began, and told the court that Allen had threatened to kill officers there. He also confirmed that Allen was held alone at all of his facilities, including Cass County.

Previous witness Brynn Wilbur also returned as a witness. Wilbur was on the Monon High Bridge trails the day the girls went missing. She said again that she didn’t see “Bridge Guy” or any children.

The court adjourned Wednesday afternoon and will return Thursday morning.