Prosecutor signals support for delay of bail hearing, trial for Richard Allen

CARROLL COUNTY, Indiana — Prosecutors are supporting a motion by defense attorneys to delay the bail hearing and trial of Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen.

In a response filed Monday in Carroll Circuit Court, Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland said the state had no objection to the defense’s motion for a continuation of the case.

On February 7, Allen’s attorneys asked Judge Fran Gull to postpone the February 17 bail hearing and his March trial.

McLeland wrote that the state has “no objection” to setting a new date and time for the trial that is “convenient to all parties.”

Allen faces two counts of murder in the deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German. The state’s response to the defense motion was filed on February 13, 2017, on the sixth anniversary of the girls’ disappearance. Indiana State Police announced Allen’s arrest in October 2022.

In the motion to proceed, the defense indicated that they had a large body of evidence to search, some of which had just been turned over. Allen’s attorneys expressed concern that they would not be able to thoroughly review the material ahead of his Feb. 17 bail hearing.

Gull had already expressed skepticism about a March 2023 trial date given the large amount of evidence involved in the years-long investigation. While she has yet to rule on the defense’s request, the state’s response appeared to signal a likely delay in proceedings.

Allen’s defense team is trying to get him released on “reasonable bail” while he awaits trial, arguing that the evidence is not strong enough to keep him behind bars.

Prosecutors countered that the evidence “adds up to strong and obvious evidence of guilt” and believe Allen should remain in custody.

The state filed its own motion Monday, demanding a protective order governing the delivery of discovery materials to the defense. The motion seeks to prevent such materials from being publicly displayed or viewed by anyone who is not authorized to do so, including “witnesses, family members, relatives and friends of the accused.”

Authorized individuals include Allen, his attorneys, and any investigators or defense experts.