8 months ago
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ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. – Defense lawyers for Richard Allen made a startling admittance during Tuesday's assemblage selection.
Allen's defence squad revealed that hairsbreadth was recovered successful Abby Williams' manus that didn't lucifer Richard Allen. That's the archetypal clip that accusation has been made public. Attorney Andrew Baldwin made the comments during "mini opening statements" preceding assemblage selection.
Allen is charged with 4 counts of execution successful transportation with the deaths of Abby and her person Libby German successful February 2017. Indiana State Police announced his apprehension successful October 2022.
While prosecutors accidental an unspent slug recovered astatine the country is linked to a weapon owned by Allen and mention dozens of confessions from him, Allen's defence argued those confessions were made nether duress and weren't trustworthy.
They said Allen confessed to details from the transgression that were inaccurate. He besides confessed to different crimes that didn't happen, his defence squad said.
During Tuesday's proceedings, 3 antecedently selected jurors were dismissed from the trial, bringing the full fig of selected jurors down to 11.
One was removed due to the fact that of childcare issues, different implicit wellness concerns. A 3rd was dismissed arsenic well.
By noon, 4 caller jurors were selected, bringing the full to 15. The radical present includes 12 jurors and 3 alternates, with 1 alternate inactive needing to beryllium seated.
The existent constitution of the assemblage is 10 women and 5 men.
Due to the high-profile quality of the case, Allen’s defence squad asked for a alteration of venue. Special Judge Fran Gull, appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court to oversee the lawsuit aft the archetypal justice recused himself, determined that was logistically challenging.
She decided to bring successful jurors from Allen County and person them transported to Carroll County for the trial. Jury enactment began Monday.
The jurors volition beryllium sequestered for astir a month. More than 100 radical were expected to attest betwixt the defence and prosecution.
Gull is scheduled to perceive immoderate evidentiary motions successful the afternoon. Wednesday volition people a interruption successful the proceedings earlier an further proceeding connected Thursday successful Allen County concerning the admissibility of wide circulated composite sketches successful the case. The authorities filed a question asking the sketches to beryllium excluded from the trial.
Opening statements are scheduled to statesman connected Friday, erstwhile the proceedings displacement to Carroll County.
