Source: Donnie Burgess / WIBC News
CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — The defense team for Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen have called for a third Franks hearing on grounds that police have intentionally sabotaged parts of the case with false information and have withheld crucial information.
In a motion filed Thursday, attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Brad Rozzi request the third Franks hearing in the case, which is basically where the defense asks for the court to hear arguments over the legitimacy of a search warrant affidavit in a particular case. In this case, attorneys Baldwin and Rozzi once again state that members of the investigation, particularly Indiana State Police Sergeant Jerry Holeman and Sheriff Tony Liggett of Carroll County, intentionally withheld information or provided false information that eventually led to the October 2022 arrest of Richard Allen.
Allen’s attorneys argue Sheriff Liggett manipulated some key details of witness statements, which were used in the search warrant affidavit nearly two years ago.
That information, along with the defense’s claim that someone on the State’s side compiled cell phone geofencing data that does not connect to Richard Allen, should have been included in the document presented to then Judge Benjamin Diener.
That geofencing data, the defense claims, shows three people within 60 to 100 yards of the crime scene, on February 13th, 2017, during the time Abigail Williams and Liberty German were being murdered. Baldwin and Rozzi claim that data needs to be presented to the court because these people, not Richard Allen, are either witnesses to the murder, did not witness anything, or were involved in the murder. That information, along with other pieces of information detailing possible Odinism ties to the crime, could be necessary in proving Allen’s innocence.
Allen’s legal team wants every piece of information provided in Franks motions I, II, and III to be brought before the court in order to suppress everything found in the search of Richard Allen’s home.
The trial is supposed to begin May 13th. The contempt of court hearing is this Monday, March 18th.
The defense still wants to avoid Monday’s hearing in favor of quickly getting to trial.
