Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen loses attorneys ahead of trial – live

The 50-year-old married man was arrested and charged in connection with the 2017 Delphi murders of teenage best friends Libby German and Abby Williams.

Richard Matthew Allen, from Delphi, Indiana, was taken into custody 26 October and booked into Carroll County Jail on two counts of murder.

His arrest marked a bombshell development in the high-profile case that has rocked the small, close-knit community of Delphi and had gone unsolved for more than half a decade.

Before Mr Allen’s attorneys quit on 19 October, they previously claimed that their client was innocent and that the victims died at the hands of a pagan white nationalist cult.

The judge in the Delphi murder case said the motion filed by the defence attorneys to withdraw was unexpected.

She ordered new counsel to be appointed for Allen.

He should have new representation by the next court date on 31 October.

Richard Allen’s defence attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi have represented him since November 2022.

The team withdrew their representation just before the hearing.

It happened just hours after defence attorney David Hennessy filed a memorandum on behalf of Baldwin, arguing he should be able to remain counsel to Allen following a reported evidence leak.

Back in early October, a photo had circulated on social media showing a tree with what was claimed to be markings etched with Libby’s blood. These photos have not been verified.

The Murder Sheet podcasters – journalist Áine Cain and attorney Kevin Greenlee – told The Independent that days later, on the morning of 5 October, a source sent them a “number of graphic crime scene pictures and other images that are part of the discovery in the case”.

Not knowing where the leak originated from, they said that they contacted both Mr Allen’s attorneys and law enforcement to report the leak.

After that, they learned that the photos had been shared with the source by an individual allegedly connected to Mr Allen’s attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi.

The man was a close friend of Mr Baldwin and previously worked as an employee at his law firm, the podcasters said.

However, he had never worked on the Delphi case and left the firm years ago.

The individual died by suicide last week after a police investigation into the leak was launched.

The judge has reset the next court date for 31 October

Richard Allen did not appear in court today.

As the hearing began on Thursday afternoon, it was announced that Richard Allen’s defence attorneys had withdrawn their representation earlier today.

He is now without a defence team and has been transported back to the Department of Correction.

Judge Gull told the court this means his trial will likely be pushed back.

Without counsel Allen’s hearing cannot proceed,” Gull said.

She added it was outside of their control and apologized to the court.

Attorneys have confirmed with the court that they are withdrawing from the case.

Richard Allen was not in the courtroom and has been transported back to Carroll County.

The judge is discussing a new trial date.

A hearing on the Delphi murder case has started.

Attorneys for both sides arrived at 2:15pm and the judge started the proceedings at 2:30.

There is a 30-minute delay, so it is expected to be available to watch at 3pm ET.

Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen will appear in court on Thursday for a hearing and for the first time in this case, cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.

The hearing will not be livestreamed, but shown on a 30-minute delay.

It is set to start at 2pm and coverage will start around 2:30pm.

Allen is charged with two counts of murder in the February 2017 deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi.

Richard Allen filed several motions just hours before today’s hearing, claiming the leaked evidence was created by people not related to the defence team, Fox59 reported.

“There were three disseminators, one of which committed suicide after the law enforcement investigation began,” the filing read. “Attorney Baldwin did nothing wrong. He was snookered and abused.”

It stated that Allen’s attorney Andrew Baldwin trusted a friend to respect his office but he was betrayed. They have since taken steps to keep all Delphi-related items locked in a room or locked fireproof file cabinet.

On Thursday morning, the team filed an affidavit under seal, a limited appearance on behalf of Mr Baldwin and a memo regarding possible disqualifications or sanctions.

The defense claimed the disqualification of either of his court-appointed attorneys would greatly prejudice his “right to counsel and a timely trial.”