INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen’s court-appointed attorneys do not have the resources that the Carroll County Attorney’s office is bringing to the case.
In an upcoming closed-door meeting, Allen’s attorneys are scheduled to lay out some of their defense strategy, which is information they don’t want to share with the public and the prosecutor.
Kevin Greenlee, an attorney for the Murder Sheet podcast, told I-Team 8, “Generally in a case like this, the prosecution has the advantage because even a small county has more resources than an individual when it comes to starting a fight to conduct judgment.”
Allen, 50, was arrested on October 28 and the The indictment was announced on October 31. He is charged in connection with the February 2017 murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German.
Allen’s public defenders Andrew Baldwin and Anthony Rizzi, who once argued that records have been unsealed, are asking the judge to seal their request for more public funding. In court filings obtained by I-Team 8, Allen’s attorneys are asking for money to pay witness fees, expenses and investigation costs. In their argument before the judge, Allen’s attorneys must identify the experts and know how to use the information to prove he didn’t kill the girls.
Jack Crawford, a defense attorney not involved in the Allen case and a former Lake County prosecutor, told I-Team 8, “You’re going to get investigators to go out and talk to witnesses. Many people were involved in finding the girls when they disappeared. There are all kinds of records that need to be collected. You need two paralegals assigned to the defense team.”
The prosecution must eventually turn over all evidence of the murders to Allen’s attorneys. But this is not a one-way street. Allen’s attorneys don’t have to share everything until it’s presented in court.
Crawford said: “I’m sure one of the first experts they’re going to get is a ballistics or firearms identification expert looking into this unfired round that was found at the site where the bodies were found of these girls were recovered.”
Money is the great balance of any defense. Allen’s lawyers are asked by experts if they can afford the fees.
The costs of the public prosecutor’s office also come into play. A few weeks ago, the Carroll County Attorney’s Office asked the county government for an additional $40,000 to cover expenses.
Crawford believes Allen’s defense and prosecution could cost taxpayers $1 million; double that if the prosecutor calls for the death penalty.
Crawford said, “I’m sure the authorities in Carroll County are trying to figure out whether they need to issue a bond or collect taxes to pay for the prosecution of this case. Unfortunately, in Indiana, we don’t have a mechanism to help small counties prosecute sensational cases like these. We don’t have the financial means to help them.”
The Carroll County prosecutor said in court he believes other suspects were involved in the murders.
Each arrest leading to a jury trial could cost the taxpayer a million dollars.
