Liberty “Libby” German, Richard Allen, and Abigail “Abby” Williams.
Days after it was reported that the Delphi murders suspect was moved to a secret location, 50-year-old Richard Matthew Allen penned a letter from jail and begged the court to appoint him defense counsel as his home life falls apart.
Allen is charged as the person who murdered Liberty “Libby” German, 14 and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, before abandoning their bodies near an old railroad deck girder bridge that is now a recreational trail. The girls vanished while walking the Monon High Bridge Trail near Delphi, Indiana, on Feb. 13, 2017. The trail traverses an abandoned stretch of the old Monon Railroad and is named accordingly. The authorities have indicated that the girls likely lost a considerable amount of blood, that the girls’ bodies were “moved and staged” where they were found, and that the killer or killers took a souvenir from the scene.
The existence of the letter from jail was first reported by Fox59. Law&Crime reached out to the Carroll County clerk’s office in Indiana regarding the letter, but the call went to voicemail and a recording noted that the office closes at noon on Wednesday. Law&Crime can confirm, however, that the public docket in the Allen case shows that he filed a letter requesting appointment of a public defender.
The letter obtained by Fox59 — which has the Carroll Circuit Court clerk’s stamp/signature on it — fundamentally made the same request, but in direr terms.
“In the cause listed above, I, Richard M. Allen, hereby throw myself at the mercy of the court. I am begging to be provide with legal assistance in a Public Defender or whatever help is available,” the letter reportedly began.
The letter writer said that he had “no clue” that hiring a private defense attorney in a double murder case of national interest would be this costly. The letter also said Allen’s wife “has had to abandon” their home for “her own safety.”
“At my initial hearing on Oct. 28, 2022, I asked to find representation for myself. However, at the time I had no clue how expensive it would be just to talk to someone. I also did not realize what my wife and I’s immediate financial situation was going to be,” the letter continued. “We have both been forced to immediately abandon employment, myself due to incarceration and my wife for her personal safety. She has had to abandon our house for her own safety. 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,” the letter went on. “Thank you for your time in this most urgent matter.”
The letter was signed Richard M. Allen.
Since Allen’s arrest in late October, little in the way of actual information or even probable cause have been made public. Nor was there any information about whether Allen had a lawyer.
And although it was eventually confirmed that Allen was in custody in White County, the suspect’s current whereabouts are secret, too.
The Indiana Department of Corrections would only confirm that Allen is in state custody.
“For Mr. Allen’s safety, we are not releasing his location at this time,” IDOC Communications Director Gregory Dunn told Law&Crime earlier this week.
Aaron Keller and Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
[Images of the victims via the FBI. Image of the suspect via the Indiana State Police]
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