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THE sketch artist who watched Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen for eight hours on the opening day of his trial has given an inside look at his courtroom behavior.
April Ganser exclusively told The U.S. Sun about the charged courtroom where the families of Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, await justice seven years after the teen best friends were killed.
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Allen, 52, is accused of ruthlessly murdering the two girls in February 2017 after they went on a walk at a park near their homes in Delphi, Indiana, about an hour and a half north of Indianapolis.
The highly anticipated murder trial began on Friday, and so far, the court has heard gruesome details about the moment detectives found Libby’s naked body after her and Abby’s throats were slashed.
For years, Delphi residents held their breaths and feared the case had gone cold until Allen was arrested in October 2022, bringing a sigh of relief to the girls’ families.
Detectives have testified that Allen confessed 60 times to killing the girls while behind bars, but he’s pleaded not guilty and is fighting the charges.
Now, the families are sitting in a tense trial where a strict judge has already banned five news crews for not following her in-court rules.
While no photographers are allowed in court, the judge permitted a sketch artist to come in for the opening day.
Ganser, an artist who helps lead local art company T.A.G., was approached to do the job, and jumped at the chance to test her skills capturing the historic moment.
However, after her sketches were released, she faced significant backlash from critics who weren’t impressed with her renderings.
Now, in an exclusive conversation with The U.S. Sun, Ganser has proudly stood by her drawings and described the feelings emanating from the courtroom as she sat face to face with one of America’s most notorious alleged killers.
Ganser was about four feet away from Allen and his defense during the trial and remembered being shocked he wore a purple shirt and slacks instead of a prison jumper.
When asked about his behaviors in the room, she remembers seeing him smile assuredly at his family members who watched on from the gallery.
“I caught him even having a prayerful moment at times as they prepared to begin,” she said.
“I was very fresh and new walking into it, so I didn’t have that relationship, but many, many people were there offering support.”
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‘READY FOR CLOSURE’
Family members, reporters, and prosecutors all walked into the courtroom looking anxious to finally get answers to the years-long mystery, according to Ganser.
“It was calm and tense at the same time,” the artist said.
“Everyone in the room is ready for closure.
“It was a very respectful time. Everyone was kind of holding their breath.
“It’s been a long seven years, and everyone there, including the public, is eager to get a verdict and get justice for the situation.”
Ganser wasn’t too familiar with the case when she signed on for the job, but briefly reviewed Allen’s face to prepare.
She also had never worked as a courtroom sketch artist before, but she was excited to take on the challenge.
When Ganser signed on for the job, she was asked to produce three to five drawings of the proceedings, but she managed to do eight sketches before the day was up.
She wasn’t familiar with any online hate over the work, and when told about it, she described the pressures of working in tight, highly regulated quarters.
“They are more of an illustration,” she said.
“My style may not be for everyone, and that’s OK.”
Ganser normally works as a digital artist, but all technology was banned from the courtroom.
Working with a pencil and paper, she tried to capture as many scenes as possible and had to hand her work off as soon as the day’s proceedings ended.
Looking back at the day, Ganser is proud she said yes, and views it as a great experience.
She was only permitted to sit in on the first day of trial but said she would happily return if the judge permitted her to.
“I’m not discouraged,” she said.
“I actually enjoyed it, and I would love to develop my technique.
“If someone doesn’t care for it, I’m not going to let it bug me.”
Defense’s timeline of Richard Allen’s ‘mental decline’
March 23, 2023: Allen was depressed and withdrawn and said he “was not straight in the head.”
April 4, 2023: Allen suffered from insomnia and hopelessness, was suicidal, and stated, “Death would bring relief to him.”
April 13, 2023: Allen was exhibiting “bizarre” behavior, including consuming his feces, and was suffering from a “grave disability.” The prison psychologist ordered Allen to receive an involuntary injection of psychotropic medication.
April 21, 2023: Allen’s thoughts were disjointed and he was saying “strange things.” Wala discussed that he might be considered incompetent to stand trial.
May 3, 2023: Allen said he wanted to confess details of the crime.
May 18, 2023: Allen receives another dose of psychotropic medication.
May 23, 2023: Allen was diagnosed as suffering from stress-induced psychosis.
June 8, 2023: Allen’s depression was reported to be “at its peak,” with trembling and knees buckling noted by a psychologist.
June 16, 2023: Allen receives another dose of psychotropic medication.
End of June 2023: Allen’s mental health improving.
October 2023: Allen begins proclaiming his innocence.
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TRIAL CONTINUES
On Monday, horrific crime scene photos were shown to the court, and the officer who first saw the girls’ bodies gave an emotional testimony.
Heartbroken family members tried to stifle sobs as prosecutors revealed pictures of Libby’s slashed throat and bloody face, ABC News reported.
Prosecutors tied Allen to the case through an unfired bullet found near the girls, which they say was traced back to a gun uncovered in his home.
They also claim he is linked to a now-horrifying Snapchat video taken by the girls, which captured a large man lumbering across a bridge they had just crossed.
Prosecutors believe that man pulled out a gun and ordered the victims to walk “down the hill,” based on chilling audio captured in the videos.
Meanwhile, Allen’s defense has questioned DNA evidence linking him to the scene and said that he was away from the hiking trail hours before the girls are believed to have been killed.
They’ve also warned that Allen’s mental state has rapidly declined in the past two years and previously argued he was unfit to stand trial.
Twelve jurors, eight women and four men, and four alternates will determine Allen’s fate.
The jurors are holed up in a hotel and had to surrender their phones for the remainder of the trial.
Allen is facing up to 130 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
The U.S. Sun spoke with podcasters closely following the case, and they gave their predictions on bizarre allegations that could come out in court.
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