The stepfather of Richard Allen, a suspect in the Delphi murders, was reportedly caught snoring during testimony linking his stepson to the brutal killing of two teenage girls.
During a lengthy and technical testimony by Melissa Oberg, a former forensic firearm examiner for the Indiana State Police, jurors learned how an unused bullet found near the bodies of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, was connected to a handgun discovered at Allen’s residence.
Despite being nudged awake, Allen’s stepfather was heard snoring and seen closing his eyes during the detailed discussion.
Oberg conducted tests on the handgun recovered from Allen’s home and concluded that the “tool marks” on the bullets she fired were similar to those on the unspent cartridge found at the crime scene.
During cross-examination, Allen’s defense attorney raised doubts about the accuracy of the firearm evaluation and highlighted that Oberg based her conclusion on spent rounds rather than unused ones that had cycled through the gun.
Prosecutors alleged that Allen followed the teenage girls while they were hiking, forced them at gunpoint off a trail, and ultimately killed them.
Defense attorneys maintain Allen’s innocence and argue that there is reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s evidence.
If convicted on all charges, Allen faces up to 130 years in prison for two counts of murder and two counts of murder while kidnapping the girls.
