State Releases Crime Scene Photos in Delphi Murders Case Amid Defense Push for Overturned Conviction

For the first time since the 2017 Delphi murders, the state of Indiana has released crime scene photos, shedding new light on the evidence used to convict Richard Allen in the deaths of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German.

The photos, included in a legal response by Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland, show different angles of Libby German’s cellphone before it was collected as evidence. The same phone recorded the infamous "bridge guy" video, which played a crucial role in the case. Prosecutors argue the images reinforce their claim that environmental factors, such as water or dirt, could have impacted the phone’s functionality. However, Allen’s defense team disputes this, insisting the phone was manually activated even after it had reportedly stopped moving.

Allen, 52, was convicted in November and sentenced to 130 years in prison for the killings. His attorneys have since filed a Motion to Correct Errors, arguing that multiple issues— including forensic concerns, Allen’s treatment while in custody, allegedly false evidence, and an alleged confession from another man— warrant a new trial or the overturning of his conviction.

Defense attorney claims safekeeping order was illegal

Allen’s lawyers have long argued that his pretrial detention at the Westville Correctional Facility, where he spent significant time in solitary confinement, severely impacted his mental health and ultimately influenced the trial’s outcome. They describe the safekeeping order that placed him in the facility as “plainly illegal from start to finish.”

In response, McLeland dismissed these concerns, stating, “The motion for safekeeping does not touch on matters of guilt or impact the ability to have a fair trial, it is a mechanism for housing the Defendant in a penal facility pending trial that will keep him and others safe.”

Surveillance footage and allegations of false evidence

The defense has also pointed to newly surfaced surveillance footage from near the crime scene that they claim contradicts the prosecution’s timeline of events. According to Allen’s attorneys, jurors were presented with false evidence during the trial.

McLeland, however, has pushed back, stating that the video is “unverified by legitimate means” and lacks an Indiana State Police identification number. As a result, he argues, it is “an improper submission for consideration by the Court.”

Alleged 2017 confession by another suspect

Another major argument in the defense’s motion revolves around an alleged confession by Ron Logan, the late owner of the property where Abby and Libby were found. According to Indiana State Police records from 2017, Logan allegedly gave a detailed account of how he killed the girls.

Allen’s attorneys argue that excluding Logan as a third-party suspect was a critical mistake by the court. However, McLeland downplayed the confession, stating that the person who reported it to police “failed the polygraph miserably” and that “many of those details are directly contradicted by the evidence.”

Prosecutors push back against new trial request

McLeland has urged the judge to deny the defense’s motion outright, arguing, “The Defense is not permitted to request a new trial to change strategy when their chosen path fails.”

Former prosecutor and current defense attorney Brad Banks echoed this sentiment, predicting that Allen’s request will be swiftly denied. “I won’t be surprised if this was denied pretty readily,” Banks said. “I think there’s somewhere close to 0% chance any of this gets granted.”

NBCUniversal fights for public access to evidence

In a separate legal development, NBCUniversal has filed a motion requesting that all trial evidence and exhibits be made public. The media company had previously submitted a public records request seeking access to materials in the case, but the state denied that request.
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