Richard Allen, the man accused of the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi, Indiana, has been granted a change in incarceration arrangement that will see him transferred from state prison to county jail custody. Following three days of pretrial hearings, Judge Frances Gull issued a ruling allowing for the transfer, a decision influenced partly by the defense's concerns regarding proximity and preparation for Allen’s upcoming trial set for October 15.
Allen has been held in isolation at two state prisons for nearly two years. FOX59 reported that the presiding judge approved the defense's motion permitting Allen to be returned to Carroll County Sheriff's custody. Sheriff Tony Liggett, whose department was instrumental in the prolonged investigation, will assume responsibility for Allen’s detainment nearer to the trial location.
While the transfer's specifics have not been fully disclosed, Allen's attorneys have advocated, since the custody change would facilitate their engagement with the defense process. Conversely, Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland shared concerns regarding Allen’s well-being at the Cass County jail, pointing out the limited mental health services relative to the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, where Allen was previously housed, as reported by WNDU.
The judiciary's favorable response to vacating the safekeeping order comes amidst what has been revealed as a graphic and emotional pretrial phase. Initial safekeeping measures were invoked by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department citing inadequate staff and facilities for managing Allen's incarceration, WTHR detailed the granted move last Thursday night.
