Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen files motion to eliminate ballistic evidence from trial

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — Delphi double murders suspect Richard Allen is now asking a judge to dismiss ballistics evidence in his case.

Attorneys representing Allen, who faces two counts of murder in the deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German in February 2017 in Delphi, filed a “motion in limine” Tuesday. Online court records show that the motion is “regarding ballistics”.

A motion in limine, Latin for a “motion at the start”, is a pretrial motion asking that certain evidence be ruled as inadmissible at a trial. The evidence being discussed in Allen’s case is ballistics, which regards firearms and projectiles.

The actual motion in limine is sealed, so what Allen’s attorneys are specifically requesting from the court is unknown. However, some ballistic evidence against Allen has been made public.

The Delphi murders case went unsolved for years before Allen’s arrest was announced in late October 2022, more than five years after the murders. The redacted probable cause affidavit for Allen’s arrest cites an unfired bullet found near the murder victims as evidence against him.

Court documents state the unfired round was recovered between the bodies of Williams and German and that the Indiana State Police crime laboratory confirmed it was from Allen’s gun.

In December of 2022, Allen’s attorneys questioned the analysis of the bullet tying their client to the double murder.

Judge Fran Gull, who has been assigned from out-of-county to preside over Allen’s case, will rule on the sealed motion in limine and determine whether the prosecution’s ballistic evidence will be allowed at trial.

Allen is scheduled to appear in Carroll Circuit Court again on Thursday.

Read next: THE HEAVEN’S GATE CULT- THE MASS SUICIDE

On March 26, 1997, the bodies of 39 people were discovered inside a ritzy mansion near San Diego. All dressed in identical black tracksuits and Nikes, they were later revealed to be members of the Heaven's Gate cul*t.