Delphi murders update: During Richard Allen trial, doctor said suspect was seriously mentally ill in Westville prison

DELPHI, Ind. — Richard Allen’s defense began their first full day of calling witnesses by bringing Officer Christopher Gootee to the stand Friday.

Gootee served on the Hammond Police Department as a teenager Libby German and Abby Williams were found murdered near the Monon High Trail in Delphi, Indiana.

Gootee interviewed Brad Weber as part of the investigation. Weber lived near the trail and, according to Gootee, Weber said he went home after work on Feb. 13, 2013, the day the girls were killed. Gootee couldn’t remember what else Weber said, despite looking at his own report.

The State did not cross-examine Gootee.

The defense then called Dr. Deanna Dwenger, while the Indiana Department of Corrections came to the stand. Dwenger supervises contract employees, such as state witness Dr. Monica Wala.

Wala testified this week about the times Allen confessed to her about killing Libby and Abby. The defense has attacked her credibility because Wala admitted to being a true crime fan who listened to and participated in Delphi-related podcasts.

Dwenger was further questioned about Wala’s personal interest in Allen’s case. Dwenger said she only found out after she had already been assigned to work with Allen.

Dwenger knew Wala visited the Monon High Bridge before Allen arrived at the Westville Correctional Facility. She told the jury she thought it was unusual to visit the crime scene of someone you work with, but said Wala had spoken more about the issue with her immediate supervisor.

Dwenger said she had not determined which prison Allen was placed in and that she did not know who made the decision. She said Allen was classified as a security risk when he arrived in Westville. Dwenger said Allen was a Code D for mental health, meaning Allen needed an individual therapist.

Dwenger said she regularly heard Allen threatened by other inmates. She also testified that she was aware that Allen was always on camera, and that concerned her. Dwenger said she recommended the cameras be removed to improve Allen’s mental health, but that never happened.

Dwenger also told jurors that solitary confinement is not good for mental health.

The Department of Corrections has a policy that someone with a “serious mental illness” cannot be held in solitary confinement for more than 30 days. Allen was held in solitary confinement for thirteen months.

State’s Attorney Stacey Diener appointed Dr. Dwenger cross-examined. She told the court that Allen had not been diagnosed with a serious mental illness when he first arrived in Westville in late 2022. It wasn’t until April 2023 that he was diagnosed, when his mental health took a noticeable turn for the worse. It is also the same time that Allen began confessing to the murders of Libby and Abby.

The first document identifying Allen’s “severe disability” was dated April 13, 2023. It was about the same time that a team of mental health professionals determined that Allen had deteriorated to the point where intervention was required. Dwenger testified that Allen was involuntarily given an antipsychotic drug.

The jury also asked Dwenger several questions, the most notable of which concerned Allen’s mental health.

A juror asked whether someone feigning a mental health crisis could put truths into a confession. Dwenger said she has seen psychotic people sincerely confess and psychotic people make up things.

Another juror asked how a psychiatrist can determine whether someone is feigning psychosis. Dwenger said the doctor listens to body language and the chain of the story. Dwenger said that if the story is organized, the person is likely faking psychosis; if it is disorganized and not in chronological order, the person is more likely to be psychotic or delusional.

When court returned after a mid-morning recess, the prosecution and defense argued over videos of Allen in his cell and how much would be shown. Judge Frances Gull decided to allow videos to be played without audio.

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.