It as a dreadful crime that impacted the community of Delphi, Indiana in a tragic way and rocked the nation. On February 13, 2017, two young teenage girls - Liberty "Libby" German, 14, and Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13 - were allegedly murdered while walking on Delphi's Monon High Bridge trail. The suspect is a man named Richard Allen. His trial is set to begin with Judge Frances Gull presiding today.
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This is what you need to know as the long-awaited legal proceedings start. For the families and friends of these two girls, the waiting must have seemed interminable. Now Richard Allen will face the judicial process.
Judge Frances Gull Seems To Be Strictly No Nonsense
She Plans To 'Run A Tight Ship'
As we have seen in the past with trials that are highly publicized, the solemn goings-on in the courtroom can be mistakenly interpreted by some onlookers as just another episode of reality TV. It seems like Judge Frances Gull is not willing to tolerate any nonsense, drama, or grandstanding, however. Per wrtv.com, her courtroom sounds like it will be a by-the-book place, no nonsense tolerated. Everything will run according to schedule and legal protocol.
"I run a tight ship, and I intend to run this courtroom efficiently," the judge reportedly said.
The Day in Court Will Start At 9 A.M.
According to Judge Gull in a media briefing, at noon there will be a morning break. Then there will be a lunch recess for 90 minutes. Things will come to an end daily at around 6 p.m. Per the outlet,"They will work Monday through Friday. Court will also be in session from 9 a.m. to noon. on Saturdays."
Opening statements are slated to take place today.
The trial is expected to conclude on November 15, "but Gull has said both the state and the prosecution have indicated they might finish early."
Judge Frances Gull Has Compassion For The Jurors And The Grueling Nature Of Their Task
She realizes that they will be seeing disturbing images and hearing painful facts connected with the case. Judge Gull said, "I signed up for this gross job. Those nice people [the jurors] did not."
There Is At Least One 'Key Piece Of Evidence'
It Is An Unspent Bullet Found At The Crime Scene
That bullet is believed to have come from a weapon of Allen's, according to detectives. It was discovered near the girls' bodies. Defense Attorney Andrew Baldwin referred to the theory linking Allen to the murder using that bullet as "a bunch of bunk."
The prosecution is also anticipated to introduce dozens of alleged confessions that Allen supposedly made while he has been in custody.
What The Defense Supposedly Intends To Do
They Have A Game Plan To Debunk Those Alleged Jailhouse Confessions Of Allen's
Allen's defense reportedly plans to undermine the credibility of those confessions by citing his mental condition at the time he supposedly made them. The defense also intends to allege that "a pagan ritualistic cult committed the crimes."
According to the outlet, "Judge Gull issued a ruling that will allow the defense to offer evidence about their theory about possible third-party suspects, and connections between the murders and Odinism."
The jury will presumably not be in the courtroom for that.
