A suspect in a 2017 double murder of two teenagers allegedly confessed “no less than 5 times” to the crimes in recorded jail phone calls with his wife and mother in April, according to court documents.
Richard Allen, a resident of Delphi, Indiana, was arrested in October 2022 on murder charges related to the deaths of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, the New York Post reported. Allen allegedly admitted to killing the girls multiple times while talking to his wife and mother over the recorded line at the Indiana Department of Corrections, according to screenshots of the documents shared on Twitter.
His wife reportedly abruptly hung up the phone after hearing the confession. The suspect’s defense team filed an emergency motion claiming that his mental state had deteriorated following the phone calls, according to ABC News.
The court documents also reportedly revealed that Allen’s behavior at Westville Correctional Facility, where he is in custody, dramatically changed after the phone call with his wife, as he reportedly began to refuse meals and stopped sleeping, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Two Unsolved Murder Cases Get Clarity After Man Makes Confession From Prison)
Defense filing in #Delphi stating that confessions have been to wife and mother over recorded line. Defense intends on challenging competency. #RichardAllen #JusticeforAbbyandLibby pic.twitter.com/DYK2B5EbiW
— Defense Diaries (@defense_diaries) June 28, 2023
A following evaluation by mental health specialists determined that Allen was not in need of involuntary medication or a move to a different unit. His behavior reportedly improved after this meeting, the outlet noted.
The suspect’s attorneys claim that any confessions Allen made during the phone calls are unreliable due to his worsening health condition. Meanwhile, the prosecution filed a request for Allen’s mental health records, challenging the defense’s assertions.
Evidence from the crime scene includes a .40-caliber unused round found near one of the victims’ bodies, which allegedly matched a gun owned by Allen, ABC News reported. Court documents also allege the involvement of a knife used in the murders.