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Delphi Murder Suspect Gets Court-Appointed Defense Attorney Following Letter 'Begging' For Counsel
Richard Allen initially told the court that he wanted to obtain his own attorney, but then penned a letter, stating he "had no clue how expensive it would be."
A suspect who begged for an attorney to defend him in a high-profile double murder case now has legal representation.
Richard M. Allen, 50, threw himself at the mercy of the courts when penning a letter, “begging” the court to grant him legal counsel. According to recent court records obtained by several local outlets, including ABC Indianapolis affiliate WRTV, Allen will now be represented by Brady Rozzi of Hills, Hillis, Rozzi & Dean from Logansport, Indiana., as appointed by the court.
Joseph Baldwin, working on behalf of Franklin, Indiana-based law firm Baldwin, Perry & Kamish PC, will be co-counsel, according to the Indianapolis outlet.
Neither one of the attorneys nor their law firms responded to requests from Oxygen.com by the time of publication.
Allen remains at an undisclosed state facility, where he awaits legal proceedings for the 2017 murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, in what’s been commonly referred to as the Delphi Murders.
RELATED: Mother Of Delphi Murder Victim Libby German Is Hopeful 'Justice Is Coming'
The teenagers disappeared from a Delphi, Indiana hiking trail on Feb. 13, 2017, while enjoying a day off from school.
The next day, their bodies were found in a wooded area, though a cause of death was never publicized.
The case garnered widespread attention, especially in the true-crime community, in part because of a publicly released audio and video clip from German’s phone showing a man — believed to be the killer — walking in the girls’ direction, saying, “down the hill.”
Allen, a fellow Delphi resident with ties to the community, was arrested on Oct. 28. However, investigators remain tight-lipped about what led to the CVS employee's arrest, and a probable cause statement remains sealed.
Initially, Allen requested that he obtain his own legal representation, but in his letter, he explained that he “had no clue how expensive it would be just to talk to someone” who could act as legal counsel.
“I also did not realize what my wife and I’s financial situation was going to be,” Allen wrote.
The request to obtain his own lawyer came when Carroll Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Diener was presiding over the case, the same judge who permitted Allen to be moved to a state facility for his own protection in light of the high publicity.
On Nov. 3, Judge Diener cited the “public’s blood lust for information” on when scheduling a Nov. 22 hearing to decide whether or not the sealed affidavit would be made available for the public.
He cited the same reasons when he recused himself the same day, noting how YouTube creators had posted photos of Diener and his family members, creating an “extremely dangerous” environment for public servants tied to the case.
The Indiana Supreme Court has since appointed Allen County Superior Judge Fran Gull as a special judge in the case.
Allen is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 13, 2023.
