Delphi prepares for double murder trial

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — It’s estimated the prosecution and upcoming trial of Richard Allen, accused of killing Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge outside of Delphi in 2017, will cost Carroll County taxpayers more than $4 million.

Jury selection in the oft times delayed trial begins in Allen County next week before the case moves to Delphi.

Authorities will restrict access to the Carroll County courthouse during the anticipated four-week-long trial at a time when many property owners visit the Treasurer’s Office to pay their semi-annual taxes and voters arrive at the county clerk’s early voting center to cast their election ballots.

”This is the former Monigal’s restaurant where we had to relocate our polling location due to the Abby and Libby murder trial,” said County Clerk Sharon Milburn while standing in the parking lot of the shuttered eatery less than a mile from downtown and her office at the county courthouse. ”The main reason is the entrance that they would use to bring in the defendant and the jurors and the judge would be coming right through our location to where we vote.”

Milburn said 126 voters cast early ballots Tuesday and more than half of all Carroll County voters take advantage of the early voting option.

”It’s a big change for our town,” said Milburn. ”We’ve never had anything this large that I’m aware of. I have been resident here my entire life. I don’t remember anything impacting us for as long as this trial is going to impact us.”

“It’s going to be difficult,” she said. “When you have the added vehicles in town, it’s going to be difficult for normal patrons who are coming into pay, just in my office, child support or anything like that. It’s also tax season as well, so, you’ve got all the people wanting to pay their taxes are also gonna have to be coming through.”

Ann Hughes has cut hair and painted nails at the Sassy Salon just off the town square for 23 years.

”The restaurants, of course, will be a lot busier and the other shops that are in town, but, we’re gonna be busier than normal obviously with traffic in town, but I think they’ve done a great job preparing for that as best as we can being a small community,” she said. “We can’t make it any bigger than it is to create spaces for everyone. They’ve done as much as they can to prep for this so having the parking spaces being two hours and they’re really doing a great job monitoring all of that its gonna keep people from camping there.”

Delphi is preparing for an onslaught of visitors, media, social media posters and true crime fans who have followed this case for more than seven years.

”We all support the family and are here for them no matter what,” said Hughes. ”We want closure for their family and in that way the whole town can start to heal because it’s a wonderful place to live. We’re ready to be known for something more than where something bad happened.”

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