The defense counsel for Richard Allen, the suspect in the Delphi murders case, has withdrawn from the double-murder trial after allegations emerged that leaked photos of the crime scene came from one of the attorney’s associates. The gruesome images, which were shared via text and appeared on social media, were taken in the wooded area off the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana, where 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German and 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams were murdered after they disappeared from a hike on February 13, 2017.
During a hearing recorded by FOX 59 Indianapolis, Carroll County Judge Fran Gull announced the unexpected turn of events, stating that the defense attorneys, Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi, had withdrawn their representation of Mr. Allen. Gull ordered Allen, who is entitled to new counsel, to be sent back to Westville Correctional Facility and instructed his former attorneys to send the discovery back to the state of Indiana. The attorneys have agreed to cooperate with successor counsel.
According to Baldwin’s attorney, David Hennessy, the withdrawal was not voluntary but occurred under coercive circumstances. Hennessy argued that Baldwin should not be disqualified from representing Allen because they had developed a strong and trusting bond prior to the withdrawal. He further stated that disqualification of counsel should be an extreme remedy and that the leaked information was obtained without the attorney’s knowledge or permission.
The connection between Baldwin and the alleged photo leak was first reported by the co-hosts of “The Murder Sheet” podcast, Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain. They noted that the severity of the leak led to the withdrawal of both defense attorneys from the case. It was also revealed that a person associated with the photo leak died by suicide.
Richard Allen was arrested in October 2022 for the murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams. Prosecutors claim that evidence from the crime scene matched evidence collected from Allen’s home during a search warrant. Allen allegedly confessed to the crimes multiple times during phone calls with his wife from jail.
Allen’s defense has argued that the girls’ deaths were part of a ritualistic sacrifice performed by members of a pagan Odinist cult in Indiana. Prosecutors dismissed these claims as “colorful, dramatic,” and “unprofessional.”
The next hearing in Allen’s case is scheduled for later this month. The gag order issued on parties involved in the case has prevented attorneys and police from publicly discussing details of the murders and allegations against the suspect.
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