INDIANAPOLIS (WLKI)- Attorneys for Richard Allen asked the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday to overturn his convictions in the 2017 killings of Delphi teenagers Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
Allen is serving a 130-year prison sentence after being convicted in the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German.
During oral arguments, Allen's defense team argued that his pretrial confinement at Westville Correctional Facility caused a mental breakdown and made his later admissions unreliable. The defense also argued that jurors were not allowed to hear evidence that could have supported the theory that other people committed the killings.
State attorneys responded that Allen's admissions were voluntary, including statements he made to family members and medical personnel.
Prosecutors also pointed to evidence presented at trial that placed Allen on the Monon High Bridge trail around the time the girls disappeared. They said an unspent .40-caliber bullet found near the victims was linked through forensic testing to Allen's handgun.
The three-judge panel took the case under advisement. A written decision is expected in the coming months.