Delphi Murder Trial: Richard Allen’s Mental Health Examined in the Murders of Libby German and Abby Williams

DELPHI, Ind. — Richard Allen’s defense attorney began the week by calling Dr. Polly Westcott as a witness.

She detailed Allen’s mental health history and its deterioration during his time in prison.

Allen is accused of murdering Libby German and Abby Williams while walking in Delphi, Indiana, in February 2017.

Westcott was hired by Allen’s defense in May 2023. She said she reviewed Allen’s mental health history, performed a neurological examination and determined the scope and context of his decline when he confessed to murdering the girls.

She testified that having over 20 hours of video recordings of a patient was unusual. She also had access to notes taken during his suicide watch.

In August 2023, Westcott met with Allen for the first time and conducted a two-hour assessment and a five-hour test administered over two days.

She determined that Allen arrived at the Westville Correctional Facility with depression and anxiety.

Westcott also diagnosed him with dependent personality disorder and was particularly dependent on Kathy.

A clinical psychologist said Allen “fell apart” when he was cut off from Kathy.

She said his depression became more pronounced and developed into psychosis.

Westcott then testified that while in prison, Allen showed “significant decline” that progressed to hallucinations, psychosis and suicidal thoughts.

“Isolation can change brain chemistry,” she said.

Westcott explained that people with Allen’s mental health history are at a much higher risk of psychosis, especially given the condition he was in.

She testified that other inmates shouted at Allen while he was in solitary confinement, calling him a “baby killer” and telling him to kill himself.

She said Allen had no window, slept irregularly and lost weight quickly. “Your brain can’t tell what’s real,” she said. “It’s like being in an amusement park. You don’t know
what is reality and what is not.”

The doctor also said Allen made up stories while he was in a psychotic state.

Asked by the state how she could have made such a decision. Westcott told the court that at one point Allen said, “Satan killed the girls.”

During the hearing, the state pressed Westcott about Allen’s confession.

Prosecutor Stacy Diener asked, “Is everything that a psychotic person says distorted because of the psychosis?”

Westcott replied, “Much of what a person says or perceives in a psychotic state is not consistent with the world others around him perceive.”

Diener continued: “But could they say things that are accurate?”

Westcott replied yes.

The second witness on Monday morning was Max Baker, who watched “hundreds of hours” of video footage from his prison cell showing Richard Allen’s incarceration.

Baker edited the videos to show the jury such things as Allen’s steaming, showering, X-rays and meetings with nurses and psychologists.

He said the edited video was typical of Allen’s actions in prison and could have shown more.

“I chose the films that I thought were the most important,” he said.

The trial will continue on Monday afternoon.