Abby & Libby - The Delphi Murders - Richard Allen Arrested - #209

[FrostedGlass]

Updated: Nov 1, 2024 / 04:16 PM EST

Delphi Murders trial: Day 13 live blog

Delphi Murders trial of Richard Allen continues with testimony from witnesses. Allen is charged with murder of two girls in 2017. Follow for updates.

wishtv.com

3:09 P.M. TESTIMONY FROM DEFENSE WITNESSES.​

Court is back in session at 1:05 p.m.

At 1:10 p.m. the defense called Brad Heath.

Heath tells the jury he lives just outside Delphi and is 70 years old. He worked for Reliable Exterminators and retired 5 years ago.

Heath says he managed company business for the Delphi area and surrounding spots. He describes doing a job at a company called Anderson’s and the scans of the building he did on Feb. 13, 2017. His last scan was at 2:06 p.m.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi hands Heath a report he requested that shows what Heath did that day at that stop. The report refers to Heath seeing a vehicle at 8:45 a.m. the morning of the murders. He noticed it was in the same location that afternoon. Heath said the car was half-way down the road near the CPS building, parked about two feet off the road.

Heath said it was an older car and looked out of place. He said he went to law enforcement a week after the crimes to tell them after he realized what happened. Heath said he talked to law enforcement a few times over the years at his own prompting.

Heath said he recently spoke to law enforcement about having seen a car that looked like it was “in a movie.” He says the car was a 4-door that looked like it was from the 80’s or 90’s. He said he was 150-250 yards away when he saw it. The defense shows a photo of the car.

Heath said he had no recollection of cars being in the CPS lot or not. He said he saw different angles of the same car at different points throughout the day.

The prosecution had no questions for Heath.

GH talks to him

 

[Inthedetails]

If as I thoroughly believe Muddy Bloody Guy was RA, he spent a long time on the north side of the creek with the girls before setting out for his car. What he was doing, we may never know.

Watching them die, imo. Maybe one and then the other or maybe both at the same time, we don't know. Then, as he said, he walked away and lived his life.

jmo

 

[BUF]

So, a big takeaway is that it was very dark and there were folks out in the area until at least 2:30am. It was a disorganized search, not a super-thorough grid search. Someone may have shined a light on the creek. It sounds like they did not search north of the creek, and the witness says he definitely did not look there personally.

The defense is struggling really hard here. Not only does this testimony leave open the idea that the girls were on the north side of the creek all night, it also highlights how easy it would have been for searchers to miss them and how hard it would be for a group of odinists to navigate through that area in the pitch black while leaving no trace.

JMO

And notice that the prosecution doesn’t even cross examine him.

Also interesting that he wasn’t even deposed until 3 weeks ago.

 

[Inthedetails]

And notice that the prosecution doesn’t even cross examine him.

Power move.

jmo

 

[AugustWest]

Do you think the reporter used the wrong wording? And, thank you for your input AND especially for having a sense of humor with some of the posts last night. I enjoy the legal explaining.

jmo

There have been multiple hearsay objections today, which has been confusing a lot of commentators. I try my best to always keep some levity; a sense of humor keeps me sane.

ETA: I wasn't speaking about any particular reporter, just all of them in general.

 

[Arkay]

“My thought was they were hunkered down, cold and scared… waiting for us to find them,” Sterrett said.

I know this is the fire chief speaking when they were searching for the girls and it was still believed they were alive and around somewhere.

But, in the most tragic way, this turns out to be mainly true.

IMO

 

[arielilane]

A high bridge photographer​

David McCain (DM) took the stand next and told jurors he was out walking on the Monon High Bridge the day Abby and Libby vanished.

DM said he was on the trails between 2 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017.

DM walked around taking photographs, and recalled passing Cheyenne Mill (CM)

CM, who spoke on Day 12, testified to being on the bridge between 3 and 4 p.m. and seeing an old man with a camera around his neck.

DM parked at the Mears entrance and saw two or three vehicles parked there. He left around 4 p.m. and didn’t see anyone on 300 North.

During previous testimony, witnesses described seeing a man “muddy and bloody” walking on 300 North the day the girls’ vanished.

DM told jurors that during his time on the trails and the bridge he never saw or heard anything unusual.

DM did reach out to the sheriff’s department after hearing of the girls’ deaths. FBI agents spoke to him less than a week later.

DM gave the photographs he took to police.

DM said he’d been interviewed several times over the years including being asked about capturing any cars in the background of his photos.

https://fox59.com/delphi-trial/delphi-murders-former-fire-chief-recalls-nighttime-search-for-girls-and-lack-of-sightings/

 

[minor4th]

So, a big takeaway is that it was very dark and there were folks out in the area until at least 2:30am. It was a disorganized search, not a super-thorough grid search. Someone may have shined a light on the creek. It sounds like they did not search north of the creek, and the witness says he definitely did not look there personally.

The defense is struggling really hard here. Not only does this testimony leave open the idea that the girls were on the north side of the creek all night, it also highlights how easy it would have been for searchers to miss them and how hard it would be for a group of odinists to navigate through that area in the pitch black while leaving no trace.

JMO

From the court update above:

Sterrett said he ordered a search north, south, east and west of the bridge. In a deposition he said there may have been higher intensity lights from vehicles, but he is not sure.​

Sounds like they did search north of the creek, at least they were supposed to.

 

[minor4th]

There have been multiple hearsay objections today, which has been confusing a lot of commentators. I try my best to always keep some levity; a sense of humor keeps me sane.

ETA: I wasn't speaking about any particular reporter, just all of them in general.

It really grinds my gears listening to non-legal reporters report about legal issues. Funny, too.

 

[Spartygirl]

Photo by The Carroll County Comet

 

[INfisherman]

Because the prison staff and psychologist were not questioning him. They were just writing down his spontaneous utterances, allegedly.

BBM

Was that in testimony? Honest question. Easy to interpret things one way or another given the media issues/situation. I do see allegedly.

 

[AugustWest]

It really grinds my gears listening to non-legal reporters report about legal issues. Funny, too.

Haha! It gets crazy when hearsay and exceptions start being discussed, not to mention Rule 902 self-authenticating evidence.

 

[WildHuncher]

Watching them die, imo. Maybe one and then the other or maybe both at the same time, we don't know. Then, as he said, he walked away and lived his life.

jmo

I forget exactly but I think he’s got some 40 minutes to an hour. For how much of it were they alive? What fantasies did he fulfill? Did he look for that bullet? My mind goes all over.

But if he never talks, we never know.

 

[otto]

From the court update above:



Sounds like they did search north of the creek, at least they were supposed to.

North of the South end of the bridge is still South of the creek. It's hard to say how that was interpreted. Regardless, we now know that no one walked up the ravine towards the cemetery in the middle of the night.

 

[minor4th]

As we get info about the defense case, let’s keep in mind that all witnesses are not going to be bombshell high-impact witnesses, just like the State’s witnesses. Also, the significance of any testimony might not be apparent until more context is given through other witnesses or evidence.

That said, I do not expect any real defense bombshells of the Judge doesn’t decide to allow them to present third-party culprit evidence.

 

[JosieMae]

I'm following the live blog and cannot for the life of me understand why the defense is putting on these witnesses who have nothing to add. A couple of the witnesses weren't even cross-examined.

What are they trying to prove?

Totally underwhelmed by the defense's case.

 

[WildHuncher]

North of the South end of the bridge is still South of the creek. It's hard to say how that was interpreted. Regardless, we now know that no one walked up the ravine towards the cemetery in the middle of the night.

The Odinists were wearing their ninja gear.

 

[minor4th]

BBM

Was that in testimony? Honest question. Easy to interpret things one way or another given the media issues/situation. I do see allegedly.

Yes, it was in the guard’s testimony and Wala’s according to reports I’ve seen.

 

[minor4th]

North of the South end of the bridge is still South of the creek. It's hard to say how that was interpreted. Regardless, we now know that no one walked up the ravine towards the cemetery in the middle of the night.

But he didn’t say North of the South end of the bridge. He said North of the bridge, which I presume to mean North of the whole bridge.

 

[SouthEnd]

North of the South end of the bridge is still South of the creek. It's hard to say how that was interpreted. Regardless, we now know that no one walked up the ravine towards the cemetery in the middle of the night.

My understanding is that they were mostly focussing South/downstream - towards the direction of Abby's home, since they logically assumed that this is were the girls would have been heading, if for some reason their phone had stopped working/they missed the pickup. All MOO