Fellow inmate alleges abuse of Delphi murders suspect at the hands of prison staff

DELPHI, Ind. (WPTA) - A fellow inmate of Richard Allen, charged in the killing of two teen girls in Delphi, says he has witnessed Allen being “abused and mistreated” by staff and officers at the jail, calling for court leaders to intervene.

BACKGROUND: Delphi double murders case timeline

Suspect Richard Allen is accused of killing Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, in Delphi, Indiana, in February 2017. He is set to stand trial next October.

Court records show Robert Baston is serving a 40-year sentence for child molestation out of Ripley County. Baston said he was being held in the cell above Allen at the Westville Correctional Facility and witnessed Allen’s mistreatment.

In his letter addressed to the Carroll County Clerk of Courts, he said he was retaliated against and was moved to restricted housing after speaking out about the abuse.

Baston claimed he was documenting the mistreatment to inform journalists, but he said his letters never made it to their destination.

“So until this court can protect me and other inmates at Westville Restrictive Housing Unit and report the excessive use of force assaults, abuse, mistreatment, torture, and retaliation from corrupt Indiana Dept. of Corr. staff/officers, then I do not feel safe to testify,” Baston wrote.

He ended the letter by saying the abuse has affected Allen’s health and mental health, asking the court to “report the corruption to the proper authorities to investigate.”

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