The trial of Richard Allen in the Delphi murders is hearing from a firearms expert

Richard Allen’s trial continued Friday in Delphi, Indiana.

Allen, 52, is accused of murdering two teenagers who went missing on February 13, 2017 and were found dead the next day. He was arrested in 2022 and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping resulting in death Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” Herman.

Testimony Thursday by Kathy Schenk, a former state employee who volunteered for the Carroll County District Attorney’s Office, showed how Allen became the prime suspect in 2022. State police investigators also shared what they found during a search of Richard Allen’s home in 2022. He had many knives at home, which his lawyers said were used for fishing.

Court documents continue to be filed during the trial. Journalists from Indianapolis Star and Lafayette Journal & Courier will cover the case as it moves through the court system.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

October 23, 2024: Richard Allen was not on the radar of Delphi researchers. Then the volunteer found the tip box.

During lengthy cross-examination of Indiana State Police firearms expert Melissa Oberg, defense attorney Bradley Rozzi questioned whether the field of firearms testing can be trusted, noting that other scholars are critical of the field.

“Would you ever tell the law enforcement officer in this case that a firearms background check, like a paternity check, is 99% accurate?” Rosie asked.

“No,” said Oberg, who also said the error rate in the firearms testing industry is about 2 percent, and she’s not aware of ever making an identification error in her 17 years of analyzing firearms.

Rozzi also emphasized that Oberg’s analysis, which linked Allen’s Sig Sauer P226 .40 caliber handgun to an unfired cartridge found at the crime scene, was based on research and comparison liberated rounds

Oberg previously testified that as part of her analysis, she fired Allen’s gun in cycles so she could compare the tool marks left after the shots. Oberg explained that because the firing causes more pressure, the markings will be clearer.

Melissa Oberg, a firearms expert with the Indiana State Police, testified that her analysis linked the spent cartridge found between Abby and Libby’s bodies to Allen’s Sig Sauer Model P226, .40-caliber handgun.

“I was able to identify the gun … by the fact that the cartridge had been changed,” Oberg told jurors.

As part of her analysis, Oberg said she cycled and fired through Allen’s gun so she could compare the tool marks left after the shot.

Cycling involves pulling the bolt of the rifle, which allows the projectile or ammunition to be fed into the chamber.

Friday began with expert testimony about the details of the firearm, the cartridges and the reasons for the markings on the cartridge.

Melissa Oberg, an Indiana State Police firearms expert who has tested thousands of handguns, cartridges and casings, explained to jurors how semi-automatic weapons work, what constitutes a round and what parts it consists of. Oberg also demonstrated to jurors how a semi-automatic handgun transfers cartridges into a firearm.

A cartridge is a unit of ammunition, also called a cartridge. There is a projectile or bullet in his head. There is gunpowder inside the sleeve. At the bottom is a capsule that ignites the gunpowder and pushes the bullet out of the barrel of the gun.

Prosecutors say the unexpended round found between Abby and Libby’s bodies was thrown through Allen’s Sig Sauer Model P226 .40-caliber handgun.

At one point during the technical testimony, Allen looked around the courtroom and up at the stained glass ceiling, spinning in his chair.