CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — Judge Fran Gull says Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen can be moved to a new facility, although the judge didn’t specify where he would go.
Allen faces two counts of murder in the deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German in February 2017 in Delphi. The case went unsolved for years before Allen’s arrest was announced in late October 2022, more than five years after the murders.
Gull’s order, issued Friday, followed an emergency motion from his defense attorneys last week in which they expressed concerns about their client’s deteriorating mental and physical state.
The state filed its response Friday, although those documents are under seal. Gull’s judgment referenced a Nov. 3 order out of Carroll County that said Allen could be moved within the Department of Correction if circumstances warranted and there was available space.
From Gull’s order:
“Consistent with that Order and the ‘safe keeper statute,’ the Department of Correction is authorized to move the Defendant within the Department of Correction to accommodate his medical and physical needs pursuant to medical directives by the Department of Correction physicians, psychiatrists, or psychologists.”
Allen’s defense lawyers filed their emergency motion on April 5.
They believe Allen, who’s being held at Westville Correctional Facility, was showing signs of physical and mental strain from his captivity. They advocated moving him to a facility in Cass County, which they said would allow him to be closer to family and solve some logistical challenges related to his defense.
Allen’s attorneys said they have noticed a change in Allen’s demeanor recently. They also shared a photo from April 4 in which it appeared he’d lost weight.
Allen is next due in court on June 15 for a bail review hearing. A June 16 date has also been set aside in case the court requires additional time.
