‘Treated more favorably’: Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen to stay in same facility after judge denies safekeeping order

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen will remain incarcerated at his current facility in Westville after a judge concluded he was being treated “more favorably” than other inmates and denied a request by his attorneys to move him.

Allen, who is accused of killing Libby German and Abby Williams in February 2017 near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, was arrested over five years later on Oct. 26, 2022. He now is being held at Westville Correctional Facility and faces 2 felony murder charges in the case, with a jury trial set to begin next January in Carroll County.

Attorneys Bradley Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin, the defense lawyers representing Allen, filed a safekeeping order in April that alleged their client was being treated like a “prisoner of war” since being incarcerated at the Westville facility.

Later in April, Allen County Judge Frances Gull ruled Allen could be transferred to another facility, but did not specify where. Despite this, Allen has remained in Westville.

Now, the Judge has ruled that Allen is actually being treated favorably at the facility and that he should remain there.

Gull, who was assigned from out-of-county to preside over Allen’s case, issued an order Wednesday denying the safekeeping order filed by attorneys Rozzi and Baldwin.

While the attorneys had argued that Allen was being treated “less favorably” than convicted criminals, Gull said she has found the opposite to be true.

“The evidence presented at the hearing on defendant’s Motion to Reconsider did not support many of the allegations advanced by defendant counsel,” Gull wrote. “In fact, the evidence presented demonstrated that the Defendant is treated more favorably than other inmates housed at the Westville Correctional Facility.”

Gull also ruled that the services and facilities being provided to Allen were sufficient, despite the defense claiming that he was being denied things such as secure facilities and phone calls.

“The Department of Correction has provided, and will continue to provide Defendant with the necessary medical services, including any mental health services,” the ruling reads. “If the Department of Correction believes a facility other than Westville is more appropriate, or more convenient for Counsel, the Court is confident that the Department of Correction will move the defendant accordingly.”

The evidence provided in court, Gull said, is what caused her to reconsider the original order allowing Allen to be moved. He will now remain incarcerated at Westville Correctional Facility until his jury trial scheduled for 9 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2024.