(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Richard Allen, the man accused of murdering two teenage girls in Delphi, Ind., over seven years ago, was back in court on Monday for two separate hearings.
The girls — 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German — were last seen on Feb. 13, 2017, when a relative of one of the teens dropped them off at a hiking trail near their hometown of Delphi. They were reported missing after they didn’t show up at a pre-arranged meeting place later that evening. Their bodies were found the next day in a heavily wooded area near the trail.
In Allen’s first hearing, the judge approved new murder charges but rejected two additional kidnapping charges.
Allen will now be defending himself against two counts of murder while attempting to commit kidnapping. The judge said the updated charges more accurately aligned with the charging information.
The second hearing’s focus shifted to Allen’s defense team, which is facing allegations of contempt. Allegations include: evidence leaks and violations of a gag order.
Allen’s attorney’s have maintained that a representative from their office took cell phone photos of the evidence and shared them on social media without their knowledge.
The judge did not approve the case being pursued, which would have led to the trial being pushed back to a later date.
Allen’s trial is set for May.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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