Delphi Murder Suspect Richard Allen Demands Free Lawyer

The man accused of murdering two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana, has written a letter to the court asking for a public defender because he cannot afford to hire an attorney.

“I, Richard M. Allen, hereby throw myself at the mercy of the court. I request legal assistance from a public defender or any other help available,” he wrote in the letter to Carroll Circuit Court obtained by the Journal & Courier.

Allen, 50, of Delphi, is charged with two counts of murder in the February 13, 2017 murders of Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13.

The bodies of the two friends were found a day after they disappeared while hiking.

Grainy footage recovered from Libby’s phone showed a man walking near where the girls were last seen alive and saying the phrase: « down the hill ».

Indiana State Police arrested Allen on October 26, and he was sentenced to jail without bail.

Allen, a married father of two CVS techs, wrote that his wife stopped working for « her personal safety » following his arrest.

“At my first hearing on October 28, 2022, I requested representation,” Allen wrote in the November 7 postmarked letter. “However, at the time, I had no idea how much it would cost to talk to someone.

“I also had no idea what the immediate financial situation of my wife and I was going to be,” he wrote. « We were both forced out of employment immediately, myself due to incarceration and my wife for her personal safety. »

Allen did not elaborate on threats to his wife’s safety.

“Once again, I throw myself at the mercy of the court. Please give me all the help you can,” he pleaded.

Allen pleaded not guilty in his first hearing last month. Evidence against the suspect has been temporarily sealed.

A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22 to decide whether to unseal the probable cause affidavit related to Allen’s arrest.