HEALTH CONCERNS
THE Delphi Snapchat murders suspect looks unrecognizable walking into court after shedding weight during months of solitary confinement.
Richard Allen, 50, appeared for a key hearing on Thursday after he was hit with two murder charges for the sick deaths of Libby German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13.
4
4
4
The two friends were found dead along an abandoned railroad in Delphi, Indiana after vanishing on a hike at the Monon High Bridge Trail in 2017.
Investigators connected Allen to the scene through witness statements and Snapchat footage found on Abigail's phone.
A shadowy figure dubbed Bridge Guy was captured in Abigail's phone, and police said that Allen admitted to wearing clothing that matches the subject's.
Allen, a CVS worker, was arrested and charged with the murders of Libby and Abby on October 26, 2022. He has pleaded not guilty.
read more news stories
The suspect appeared to look sickly and haggard while wearing a yellow jumpsuit as heavily armed officers escorted him into the building for a hearing, footage captured by Fox affiliate WXIN reveals.
It's unclear what the yellow jumpsuit means in Indiana, with local reporters saying it could indicate he is on a work crew, requires extra security, or suffers from a serious medical condition.
The last time Allen publicly appeared he wore an orange suit.
Allen's health is at the center of the hearing today as his attorneys argue he should be taken out of confinement and put in the county jail.
Most read in The US Sun
The court will also hear about a last-minute pre-trial motion filed by the defense which asks the judge to throw out a piece of ballistics evidence.
Ballistic evidence is anything relating to gunfire, which could include bullets, weapons, bullet entrance and exit marks, and any damage caused by projectiles.
The specifics of what the attorneys wish to dismiss were not clarified in the docs, but there is a publicly known piece of ballistics evidence that linked Allen to the horrific crime.
Allen's arrest was finally announced when cops found that a bullet discovered by the girls' bodies allegedly belonged to the suspect, a probable cause affidavit states.
According to the documents, the Indiana State Police crime laboratory was able to confirm that the round was from Allen's gun.
His attorneys have questioned the analysis that led police to this conclusion and first voiced concerns over it in December 2022.
Judge Fran Gull, who is presiding over the trial, will make a decision on whether or not the defense's motion passes.
It's also possible that the defense will discuss Allen's bail, but the court said they will likely not touch the topic.
No phones are allowed in court, meaning updates will come after the meeting is adjourned.
However, the public may be able to watch the highly anticipated trial in the future after Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush said that the public has a right to watch legal proceedings.
Read More on The US Sun
“We have 2.8 million cases pending in Indiana courts right now and those cases involve every facet of Hoosier life,” Rush told WRTV. “For people to trust the courts, I think they need to know what's going on in the courtrooms.”
4
More to follow...For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at Sun Online.The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun.