DELPHI — The first full day of defense witnesses being called in the Richard Allen Delphi Murders Trial is underway at the Carroll County Courthouse. The defense team for Allen did call two witnesses who briefly appeared on the stand Thursday afternoon after the prosecution rested.
The first witness was Christopher Gootee, a Hammond Police Department officer who also had been assigned to the FBI GRIT (Gang Response Investigative Taskforce) Taskforce. Gootee testified he helped conduct canvass interviews during the Delphi murders investigation.
Gootee said he helped interview Brad Weber, a man who lives near the Monon High Bridge trail. His private driveway passes under the bridge. According to Gootee, Weber said he went home after work on the afternoon of February 13, 2017, the day Abby Williams and Libby German were last seen. Defense attorney Nicholas McLeland asked Gootee if he wrote the report from that interview. He said he did not. He testified an FBI Special wrote the report.
The defense attorney asked what Weber told him during the interview, and Gootee said he could not remember despite seeing the report written by the FBI Special Agent.
The prosecuting attorney did not ask any questions during cross-examination, and there were no questions from the jury.
The second witness called was Dr. Deanna Dwenger, a clinical psychologist who worked for the Indiana Department of Corrections Behavioral Health. Since 2021, she has been Director of Behavioral Health at IDOC. Part of her responsibility with the state was to oversee contract employees such as Centurion. Centurion employed Dr. Monica Wala, who testified for the prosecution on her treatment of Richard Allen when he was in the Westville Correctional Facility. Dwenger said she worked closely with Wala’s supervisor at Centurion.
Dwenger testified she did not determine which DOC facility would house Allen, and she did not know who made that determination. She added Allen was not held in a mental health unit at Wabash or any other IDOC facility.
The dense attorney was asked about her interactions with Dr. Wala. She said Wala told her of her interest in the Richard Allen case after she was assigned to the case. Wala told her she was a True Crime fan and listened to Delphi podcasts. She said she sought counsel from a supervisor regarding that information. Dwenger also testified she knew Dr. Wala had visited the Monon High Bridge before Allen arrived at the DOC facility in Westville.
Dwenger was asked what she knew about Richard Allen’s capabilities. She said she didn’t know why he was placed in Westville. She heard other inmates regularly threatened Allen. She also said she was aware Allen was always on camera while he was in his cell. That concerned her, she said. She recommended the cameras be removed from his cell to improve his mental health. Dr. Dwenger said those cameras were never removed.
Dr. Dwenger was asked about solitary confinement, and she told the defense attorney it was not good for mental health. She also said the Department of Corrections has a mental health policy that someone with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) should not be in solitary confinement for more than 30 days. Her testimony said Allen was diagnosed with SMI but spent 13 months in solitary confinement. She also stated it is possible that someone left in solitary for a long-term period could suffer additional mental health problems.
On cross-examination, Stacy Diener asked Dwenger when Richard Allen was diagnosed with SMI. Dwenger said he was not diagnosed when he first arrived at Westville Correctional Facility, but that he was diagnosed when he started to decline in April 2023.
A team of three mental health professionals discussed whether Allen was feigning mental illness or psychotic behavior in April 2023. A psychiatrist met with Allen that month. The first report stating Allen was suffering from a “grave disability” was April 13, 2023 when they determined Allen was not able to care for himself. That team of mental health professionals concluded Allen had deteriorated enough that intervention was required—whether he was faking or genuine.
Dr. Dwenger said Richard Allen was involuntarily given Haldol, a drug that was supposed to help with his symptoms of psychosis.
During re-direct, the prosecution objected to every question asked by defense attorney Brad Rozzi. Judge Fran Gull sustained all objections.
The jury asked Dr. Dwenger four questions. One of them centered around how medical professionals know if a patient is faking or if it is a real diagnosis. Dwenger said they listen closely to the patient’s story. If it is organized, she said the patient is likely faking psychosis. If the story is disorganized, is not easily followed, and is not chronological, it is more likely the patient is suffering from psychosis or is delusional.
Max Baker was the next witness to take the stand for the defense Friday morning. He works for the defense team. He curated the video taken of Richard Allen while the defendant was in prison. Among the videos the defense wanted to present were transport videos that showed Richard Allen moving around within the Westville Correctional Facility. The other videos were of Allen in his jail cell. There was a discussion about the admissibility of the videos. Judge Gull ultimately decided the video would be allowed, but she would not allow the audio from those videos to be heard by the jury. She ruled that the audio would be hearsay because it was the voice of Richard Allen, and he would not be taking the stand in this case.
The defense hit roadblocks Friday morning while it tried to submit the video as evidence. They eventually decided to recess Baker as a witness and hope to call him later as they continue to present their case. That means the video of Richard Allen in prison will not be shown today, but will be admissible when Baker returns to the stand.
