DELPHI, Ind. – The Delphi murders trial has shifted to the defense of Richard Allen as his attorneys work to poke holes in the state’s theories in hopes of exonerating their client. Allen is charged with four counts of murder in the February 2017 deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge. Police arrested him in October 2022. The state spent 12 days trying to convince the jury that Allen is "Bridge Guy," the brutal killer responsible for the girls' deaths. It called its final witness on Thursday before resting its case. Delphi murders trial: Day-by-day summary of the proceedings The defense introduced a pair of witnesses before court adjourned; both discussed strange men they saw near the Monon High Bridge on the day of the murders. Day 13 of testimony marked the first full day for the defense as it tries to convince the jury that Allen is an innocent man. Hammond investigator testifies The defense’s third witness was Christopher Gootee, who’s been with the Hammond Police Department since 2005 and has done some work on the Delphi murders investigation. Gootee said he was assigned to an FBI task force in 2014. His work on the Delphi case mostly consisted of interviews. He said he was assigned to the case for a little more than two weeks. The defense brought him to the stand to discuss Brad Weber, who testified on Day 11 of the case. He owns property across from the murder scene and testified that he was driving on an access road around 2:30 p.m. on the day of the murders. During Allen’s key confession, he said a van spooked him, leading him to order the girls across Deer Creek and kill them. Defense attorney Jennifer Auger asked Gootee if Weber went straight home from work that day; Gootee said he didn’t know. Auger showed him a report from Feb. 19, 2017, to refresh his memory. He’d spoken to Weber on that day. However, he couldn’t say if Weber told him he went straight home after work. The timeline is especially important for the state’s theory on how and when the murders played out. Allen's mental health in focus Once Gootee was finished, Dr. Deanna Dwenger took the stand. She’s served as the director of behavioral health for the Indiana Department of Correction since 2021 and said she was familiar with Allen. She worked closely with Dr. Monica Wala’s supervisor. Wala is the clinical psychologist who treated Allen at Westville Correctional Facility and testified about his detailed confession. The defense noted that Wala was a “true crime fan” who had been deeply interested in the Delphi murders case. Left: Richard Allen a year or two before his arrest: Right: Richard Allen on April 4, 2023 By Dwenger’s account, Wala informed her she had a “special interest” in the case in early 2023--after Allen was assigned to her--and even recommended some true crime podcasts for her. Dwenger testified she thought it was “unusual” for Wala to visit a crime scene related to someone she was working with. It was revealed in court earlier this week that Wala traveled to the area near the Monon High Bridge where the girls were found dead. Dwenger said the visit happened before Wala treated Allen. Solitary confinement and mental health Dwenger said she didn’t know why Allen was placed in solitary confinement and told the court she had concerns about the constant video surveillance of him in prison. She recommended that cameras be removed, although that didn't happen. She also said she was told that other inmates "regularly threatened" Allen. She didn't hear any of those threats herself. Dwenger said solitary confinement is “not good” for someone’s mental health, adding that the longer someone is held in solitary, the worse their mental health can get. She said it was DOC policy that someone with serious mental illness (SMI) shouldn’t be in solitary for more than 30 days. Dwenger said Allen was SMI and “gravely disabled” and told the court that long-term segregation can be harmful for a person’s mental state. Someone in restrictive housing, such as Allen, gets more monitoring than treatment, although they would still receive treatment. She agreed it was not a “therapeutic” setting and could be “toxic” to the welfare of someone with mental health issues. There are policies to make sure someone with SMI doesn’t continue to “decompensate,” Dwenger said, but none of those policies were used for Allen. During cross-examination from deputy prosecutor Stacey Diener, Dwenger said Allen wasn't diagnosed as SMI until April 2023. Wala advocated for a family visit. By Dwenger’s recollection, Wala believed Allen was feigning symptoms. She asked a psychiatrist to see Allen. They discussed “involuntary medicine” because his symptoms were getting worse and he wasn’t sleeping. Haldol (an antipsychotic medication) was administered to help with his psychosis. The defense attempted to ask about legal action involving the DOC in 2012. That led to an objection from the state, which Special Judge Fran Gull sustained. It was one of multiple sidebars and objections during Dwenger’s testimony. Jury questions Jurors had several questions for Dwenger. One jury asked if detainees under a safekeeping order are kept in the general population. Dwenger said they were. Another asked if it was possible Allen was faking symptoms to keep away from the general population. Dwenger answered it was “possible” but couldn’t say for sure. Another juror asked if Dwenger heard threats directed at Allen. She said no. A fourth question asked if it was possible for a person to slip truths into confessions regardless of whether or not they were faking symptoms. Dwenger said it was hard to tell, but she’s seen it both ways. Dwenger answered a jury question about the process for a person with SMI who's under a safekeeping order and said the procedure was the same as it was for the general population. The final jury question asked what the DOC's primary responsibility was for a safekeeper with SMI. Dwenger said safety was the primary concern. Objections, sidebars over video When court returned after the mid-morning break, the prosecution and defense sparred over videos of Allen in his cell and how much would be shown. That led to another break in the proceedings. It appeared Gull decided to allow videos to be played without audio. The debate wasn't finished there, however. The defense said it couldn't say for sure when the videos were from because of the way they were labeled in discovery. Gull said they can't use the videos if they can't verify the dates. The defense will do some additional research and try to show them later. Allen's team will call additional witnesses after lunch. Much of Friday's proceedings have been taken up by the prosecution's objections and multiple sidebars involving counsel and the judge. Media pool notes indicated there were only about 73 minutes of morning testimony due to sidebars and breaks.