DELPHI, Ind. — Attorneys with the prosecutors and defense met virtually Friday for the suspect in the Delphi killings.
Richard Allen's bail hearing has been set for Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 a.m. in Carroll County.
Attorneys representing Allen said they got evidence from prosecutors Monday and expect this to take four to eight weeks to go through everything.
One of Allen's attorneys also said they'd be "shocked" if the trial starts by the end of the year.
Potential dates for the trial could be discussed at the bail hearing June 15.
(NOTE: The above video is from a previous report on the prosecutor making an argument for Allen to be held without bail.)
John McGauley, Allen County superior court executive for Gull, told 13News Richard Allen's bail hearing and discussion on a trial date would not happen Friday, Feb. 17 as planned.
Allen's attorneys had asked the judge for more time and for his trial to be delayed, and the prosecutor is not objecting.
The defense team's court filing on Feb. 7 claims they have not yet received all the evidence from the state and won't be prepared for a Feb. 17 hearing on whether Allen should continue to be held without bail.
The defense team said it did anticipate receiving the "remaining discovery" by Feb. 10. The issue is Allen's attorneys anticipate there being so many documents, it will not be able to prepare in time.
Additionally, the defense team notified the judge it will need the March 20 trial date pushed back.
The Carroll County Prosecutor's Office filed paperwork Feb. 13 saying it didn't object to pushing back the bail hearing and trial. It also asked for any discovery material turned over to the defense or its experts be covered under a protective order. That means it cannot be shared with anyone outside of those involved in the case.
At the end of January, the Carroll County prosecutor filed paperwork arguing against bail for Allen.
13News obtained court documents that show the prosecutor's office laying out its argument. In them, the office claims it has provided the court enough evidence against Allen to substantiate the murder charge. The prosecutor also believes the "evidence against the accused adds up to strong and evident proof of guilt."
Additionally, the prosecutor points out that state and local law allows for bail to be denied for a person charged with murder.
Earlier in January, a judge ruled a jury for the Delphi murders case will come from Allen County.
According to court documents, Judge Frances Gull determined the jury will be drawn from the northeastern Indiana county, whose county seat is Fort Wayne, with the trial still taking place in Carroll County.
The gag order issued in the case continues in its current form, Gull said at the initial hearing. Lawyers, police and family members can't talk about the case publicly. Legal teams are only allowed to speak with the media about procedural items.
In December, a redacted version of the probable cause affidavit was released.
NOTE: The probable cause affidavit refers to the girls only as "Victim 1" and "Victim 2" throughout. It references audio and video from Victim 2's cellphone. Investigators previously shared the audio and video released to the public came from Libby German's phone. Therefore, Victim 1 is Abby Williams and Victim 2 is Libby German.
Here are details from the documents:
- In the video recorded from German's phone, one of the victims mentions "gun."
- Investigators spoke with three juveniles, who said they were walking on the Monon High Bridge Trail Feb. 13, 2017 and saw a man walking from Freedom Bridge toward the Monon High Bridge. One of the witnesses described the man as "kind of creepy." One of the witnesses told investigators she said "hi" to the man, but he just glared at them. One of the witnesses said the man had something covering his mouth. One of the witnesses said the man they saw matched the description of the photograph of the man seen on German's phone.
- Another witness said she was on the trails Feb. 13, 2017, with video from the Hoosier Harvestore confirming her vehicle near the entrance at 1:46 p.m. She told investigators she saw four girls walking on the bridge as she was driving underneath on her way to park. The witness said she also saw a man matching the one in German's video. Then, the witness said she saw two girls walking toward Monon High Bridge, believed to be German and Williams. The witness said she didn't see any other adults than the man on the bridge. When she was driving away, she said she saw a vehicle parked in an "odd manner" at the former Child Protective Services building, with the vehicle backed in near the building.
- A witness told investigators he saw a small, dark-colored SUV parked on the side of the old Child Protective Service building Feb. 13, 2017, and believed the vehicle was backed in to conceal the license plate.
- A witness said she was driving east on 300 North on Feb. 13, 2017 when she saw a man wearing a blue-colored jacket and blue jeans, who was muddy and bloody. The witness told investigators it appeared he had gotten into a fight.
- Investigators spoke with Richard Allen in 2017, who said he was on the trail from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017. He said he parked at the old Farm Bureau building — which was later confirmed to be the former Child Protective Services building — and saw three girls at the Freedom Bridge. Allen told investigators he did not speak with the girls as he walked from the Freedom Bridge to the High Bridge.
- Investigators said the description of the vehicle parked at the former Child Protective Services building was similar to a 2016 black Ford Focus that Allen owned. A vehicle that resembled Allen's 2016 Ford Focus was also seen on video going west on County Road 300 North at 1:27 p.m.
- Allen was again interviewed by investigators on Oct. 13, 2022. He again told them he was on the trail Feb. 13, 2017. Allen said he saw girls on the trails east of Freedom Bridge before he went to the Monon High Bridge to watch the fish.
- Investigators executed a search warrant of Allen's home Oct. 13, 2022, where they found jackets, boots, knives, and guns.
- The Indiana State Police Laboratory performed an analysis on one of Allen's guns, a Sig Sauer Model P226. Investigators confirmed an unspent round found within 2 feet from German's body came from this gun.
- Investigators confirmed Allen purchased the Sig Sauer Model P226 in 2001.
- Allen voluntarily went to the Indiana State Police post Oct. 26, 2022, and told investigators he never allowed anyone to use or borrow the Sig Sauer Model 226. He did not have a reason why the bullet was found between the victims' bodies.
- A Carroll County Sheriff's Department detective, who has been part of the investigation since it started, believes the evidence gathered shows that Allen is the man seen on the video from German's phone who forced the girls down the hill.
- Investigators believe Allen was not seen on the trail after 2:13 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017, because he was in the woods with German and Williams.