The man arrested in connection to the killing of two teenage girls in 2017 has begged for a defense attorney in a letter he wrote from jail.
Richard Allen, 50, was arrested and charged late last month in connection to the murders of Delphi, Indiana, teenagers Liberty “Libby” German and Abigail “Abby” Williams. Allen wrote a letter from his jail cell, which was obtained by Fox 59, begging the court to appoint him defense counsel.
“I am begging to be provide [sic] with legal assistance in a Public Defender or whatever help is available,” Allen wrote in the letter, saying he had initially planned to hire his own attorney but did not know at the time how expensive even speaking to a lawyer would be.
Allen also discuss the hardships his family have endured since he was arrested, saying he had to leave his job because of the arrest and that his wife had to leave hers “for her personal safety.”
“She has had to abandon our house for her own safety,” he wrote. “What little reserve there is will fail to even maintain the original residence.”
“Again, I throw myself at the mercy of the court. Please provide me whatever assistance you may,” Allen added.
Allen has been moved to a secret location, yet the return address for the letter is from the White County Jail, where he was being held before being transferred to a state facility, Fox 59 reported.
Little has been released regarding Allen’s arrest, including Allen’s potential role in the girls’ killings. On October 31, police formally announced his release but said they wouldn’t release the probable cause affidavit regarding his arrest.
“This investigation is far from complete,” Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said during a news conference, adding that the “time will come when additional details can be released.”
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland added that “per the court order, we cannot talk about the evidence that’s in the probable cause” affidavit, but said a public hearing would be held to discuss unsealing the documents.
As to why the documents are being sealed – unusual in most cases – McLeland said it was “because this case is still open” and that there was “extra scrutiny.”
“We haven’t closed the door on the investigation,” McLeland said. “We’re going to continue to take tips, take any information that anybody has.”
Allen, the man who was booked into the Carroll County Jail for the murders, is a married father whose name previously had never been tied to the case, The Independent reported. He also had reportedly posed for a smiling selfie in front of a police sketch of the suspect in the murders.
Allen has been charged with two counts of felony murder.
On February 13, 2017, 13-year-old Libby German and her best friend Abby Williams went for a walk along the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana. The next day, their bodies were found in a creek about a mile away.
After their bodies were found, police pulled evidence from Libby’s phone, which included photos of a potential suspect, as well as an audio recording of a man saying “down the hill.” Police released two sketches of potential suspects, as well as a short audio clip. The Murder Sheet Podcast was also able to obtain court documents this summer that showed an FBI agent sought a search warrant for the property where the girls’ bodies were found, a property owned by Ron Logan.
The search warrant revealed that the audio recording containing the “down the hill” clip was actually 43 seconds but wasn’t fully released to the public. In addition, investigators reportedly found a large amount of blood where the girls’ bodies were found and believed the perpetrator must have gotten blood on their hands or clothing. Police also suggested that the perpetrator may have taken a “souvenir” from the girls and “moved and staged” their bodies.