DELPHI, Ind. – Video of Richard Allen during his time at Westville Correctional Facility left some jurors “aghast” and one defense attorney “staring in horror.”
Allen is charged with four counts of murder in the February 2017 deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge. Police arrested him in October 2022.
On Day 13, the first portion of testimony focused on Allen’s mental health. He was kept in solitary confinement, which a defense witness testified could wear on a person, especially one with mental health issues.
Further testimony from Friday included a witness who saw an “out of place” car on the day of the murders and a photographer who didn’t recall seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary on the trails.
The defense also spoke to Delphi’s former fire chief about the search, grilled former Delphi police chief Steve Mullin about key testimony from witness Brad Weber and called former Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby to the stand.
Videos at the center of Day 14
On Day 14, jurors watched a series of camcorder videos showing Allen in custody at Westville Correctional Facility. The videos were not played for the courtroom at large, meaning neither reporters nor media pool notes can shed any light on their actual content.
The videos were at the center of objections and sidebars during Friday’s proceedings, with the state objecting to their admission. Special Judge Fran Gull allowed the defense to show them without audio.
Allen’s defense team couldn’t play them Friday, however, because it didn’t know the exact dates of each clip. Gull said Allen’s lawyers couldn’t show the videos unless they could find out the exact dates. The defense shelved the videos for Friday and vowed to do additional research.
By Saturday, it appeared the defense had figured things out, and Gull allowed the jury to watch the clips without audio. The prosecution objected to the showing of the “rather explicit scenes,” but Gull replied, “Obviously, the jury has to see this.”
The monitor displaying the videos was turned away from the gallery so that only the jury could see it. The prosecution had to move in order to watch. Allen did not view the clips.
The defense said the videos were being played only for the jury “out of respect” for Allen. Some of the videos showed the defendant fully nude. They spanned from April 2023 through June 2023. Clips ranged between about two minutes to more than 50 minutes.
Jurors react to videos
Since court observers were unable to watch the videos, media pool notes relied on reactions from the jury, defense lawyers and prosecutor.
As the first video played, one juror was “aghast.” Jurors appeared “tense” but not appalled at the second video.
During the third video, one juror was seen biting her lower lip. Defense attorney Jennifer Auger shook her head and looked away from the screen.
During video four, Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland stood by the jury box to watch. One of the jurors sighed while the video was ending. The jury took numerous notes during the fifth video, the pool report noted.
There was no audio from any of the videos, meaning the courtroom was relatively silent for this portion of the proceedings. The sixth video was just under three minutes. The seventh video spanned 26 minutes, but defense attorney Bradley Rozzi sped it up.
During the eighth video, the pool reporter indicated one juror had a “look of disgust” while Auger looked “horrified.”
During the ninth video, Allen’s mother left the courtroom. It should be noted that his wife, Kathy Allen, wasn’t present for any of this.
The tenth video was about an hour long. This one had an impact on McLeland, according to the pool notes, who appeared “taken aback” and was “cringing” at what he was seeing. Auger stood behind him, arms crossed and mouth open “staring in horror.”
After the jurors watched the videos, the court took a break.
Five more videos were shown in court after the break, with the flow interrupted by brief testimony from Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter.
The next five videos spanned from May 13, 2023, to June 20, 2023. Most were relatively short, with limited reactions available in the media pool notes. The 15th and final video spanned 34 minutes. One juror’s eyes “widened rapidly in surprise” at something that stunned her.
The videos were finished by about 11:50 a.m. Court adjourned shortly after that, with the jury given time to visit with family and enjoy activities on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Court will resume at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.
Carter’s testimony
Between video sessions, ISP Superintendent Doug Carter took the stand. Carter has been notably outspoken about the Delphi murders case and often appeared at press conferences to give updates on the investigation and the search for “Bridge Guy.”
Carter told the court that “dozens” of agencies were involved in the investigation, including federal resources like the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service and ATF.
He said the FBI was involved until 2021. This led to a sidebar involving Judge Gull and counsel. Carter later testified that he made the decision for the FBI to leave the case and turn over all materials in August 2021.
He was on the stand for less than 10 minutes.
Reaction from Libby German’s family
The media pool notes indicated that Becky Patty, Libby German’s grandmother, was upset while talking to McLeland before Saturday’s proceedings began.
Pool notes speculated that Patty may have been angry that videos of Allen were withheld from the public while graphic crime scene and autopsy photos of Libby and her friend Abby Williams were displayed in court earlier in the proceedings.
At one point after Saturday’s break, Patty left the courtroom and appeared “very upset.” She was later seen whispering to her husband.
