Rick Allen, a long-time resident of Delphi, Indiana, is serving a 130-year sentence for a crime the prosecution was unable to find any physical or digital evidence connecting him to. Despite growing concerns about investigative errors and prosecutorial overreach, the trial court withheld a substantial number of exhibits from the public, restricting access to a select group of journalists allotted 15 minutes per day.
Mr. Allen is now on direct appeal. The Appellant's Brief was filed Dec. 17, 2025; the Appellee Brief on Mar. 25, 2026; the Reply Brief on Apr. 27, 2026. Oral arguments were heard on Sept. 21, 2026 before a three-judge panel: Nancy H. Vaidik, Elaine B. Brown, and Robert R. Altice, Jr. See The Panel for judge profiles and The Appeal for issue-by-issue analysis.
Analysis
The Appeal
Issue-by-issue comparison of Richard Allen's appellate brief against the State's reply. Tracks each constitutional claim, the record citations, and the arguments on both sides.
The Panel
Profiles, prior criminal opinion records, and panel dynamics for the three COA judges assigned to 25A-CR-591: Vaidik, Brown, and Altice.
The Jury
Voir dire profiles, seating chart, credibility standards, and post-trial public statements for the twelve jurors who convicted Richard Allen.
Juror #02 Analysis
Claim-by-claim analysis of Mia McHaffey's public Facebook thread, cross-referenced against the court record. Includes inconsistency index and interview comparison.
Juror Facebook Thread
Annotated capture of Mia McHaffey's public Facebook thread about the case, with record citations inline.
Juror #05 Interview
64-claim fact-check of Lucy Lou's Apr. 21, 2026 interview on True Crime Tak With Frankmeister, each claim checked against the trial record and voir dire transcript.
Magic Bullet
All four firearms examinations conducted during the Delphi investigation, with exhibits. Documents the chain of custody and conflicting findings on the unspent cartridge.
Franks Memo
Franks hearings I through IV and background on Greg Ferency's role in the investigation. Tracks what investigators knew and when.
Prison Timeline
Comprehensive summary of Richard Allen's confinement conditions at Westville, including all known Haldol injections and the solitary confinement period challenged on appeal.
Phone Data
Forensic analysis of Libby German's LG phone, including the KnowledgeC.db data, Snapchat metadata, and what the extraction record shows about Feb. 13, 2017.
Arrest & Safekeeping Saga
Detailed timeline of Richard Allen's arrest, transfer to Westville, and the Safekeeping Order litigation.
Investigation
Reconstructed reports chronicling the Delphi investigation from Feb. 2017 through arrest in Oct. 2022.
Case Record
Appellate Docket
Chronological filing summary for 25A-CR-591 linking to each court document.
Trial Docket
Full trial court docket linking to the case filings.
Transcripts
Court transcripts by hearing, trial day, and individual witness.
Exhibits
All currently available pretrial and trial exhibits.
State Exhibits
State exhibit list with availability status.
Defense Exhibits
Defense exhibit list with availability status.
Audio Exhibits
8 recorded calls between Richard, Kathy, Janis, and/or Marvin Allen.
Video Exhibits
Drone footage, the Bridge Guy video, and interrogation recordings.
Appellant Exhibit Volumes
Appellant's appendix exhibit volumes 1 through 13 (Google Drive).
Related Dockets
Dockets for James Luttrull, Shane Meehan, and Todd Click.
Tools & Reference
Court File Search
Full-text search across hundreds of filings, motions, orders, transcripts, and exhibits. Currently under construction while I incorporate all the appeal filings and appendix volumes.
First 48 Hours Timeline
Witness timelines and forensic data for Feb. 13, 2017.
Timeline Animation
Animated map of key witness movements on Feb. 13, 2017. Work in progress.
Interview Hub
Publicly accessible index of post-trial juror and witness interviews.
Defense Expenses
Breakdown of expenses from Rick's trial counsel and the fundraiser.
Delphi Playlists
Trial day livestreams: Andrea Burkhart, Lawyer Lee, Defense Diaries, and others.
Delphi Librarians
Local librarians and Cranks: AI testimony read-throughs, required reading, and shenanigans.
Crebin
Community-created gifs, memes, and videos.
Google Drive
All source documents for this case in one place.