Carroll County kindness is something else

Family, friends of Abby and Libby bring community, visitors together



Josh Ridgeway brought coffee to those standing in line Friday morning at the Carroll County Courthouse. Photo by Amy Graham-McCarty

Josh Ridgeway brought coffee to those standing in line Friday morning at the Carroll County Courthouse. Photo by Amy Graham-McCarty

Becky Patty walked up to reporters standing outside the Carroll County Courthouse on Saturday and offered them a loaf of kindness – a slice of homemade banana bread made by her son, Derrick German, Libby German’s father.

Becky said it’s just something they do – helping others. As she made her way to the third floor of the courthouse, she could be seen handing out the sweet treat to those waiting to get into the courtroom, some of whom may not have always spoken kindly of the family.

The Pattys have given out sandwiches to those who wait in line overnight in the cold just for a chance at one of the 24 available seats in the courtroom for the trial of Richard Allen. The Pattys say they are grateful that the community is there for Libby and Abby.

Allen is on trial for the deaths of Abigail Williams and Liberty German. Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland said in his opening statement that Allen kidnapped the girls on Feb. 13, 2017, forcing them down the side of the Monon High Bridge, across Deer Creek, and to a wooded area south of Morning Height’s Cemetery, where he killed them.

The Pattys were not the only ones reaching out. Becky’s daughter, Tara German, Libby’s aunt, posted on her social media Thursday, “Carroll County friends, if you are out and about tonight, please stop and see if those who are waiting out in the cold at the courthouse need anything. It is 10:15 p.m., and there’s already a line. Amanda and I just stopped to see if anybody needed anything, regardless of who they are or what we may think of them, they are clearly devoted to this case. Just reach out and see if we can do anything for them.”

Tara was speaking of individuals who line up at the courthouse entrance, often beginning at 9 p.m. the night before the next day’s hearing. Some sleep on cots in line, and others wrap up in blankets and sit in chairs, taking turns going to their cars to get warm.

Tara and Amanda took pizza to those in line as well.

As people praised Tara for her kindness, she responded, “Being the bigger person to those who have been so awful to my family is not always easy; however, seeing how devoted they are to Abby and Libby is what really matters. I could not be any more thankful to everyone for their fight and stance for justice for these two beautiful souls that deserve it.”

Friday morning, Carroll County resident Josh Ridgeway offered a fresh cup of coffee to those in line outside the courthouse.

“I’m just here for the community,” he said.

“We’ve been here through this whole thing, seven years, and it’s just the least I can do,” Ridgeway said of bringing coffee to the courthouse.

There are just 24 general seats available inside Circuit Court. Special Judge Fran Gull has set aside 10 seats each for the families (30 seats), 12 seats for credentialed media through the Media Coalition Pool, and a few seats for the State of Indiana.

Those hoping to vie for a general seat must make sure they are one of the first 24 in line. Those in line include media not chosen for the day’s 12 seats, podcasters, YouTubers, and other interested individuals.

While Gulls runs a tight ship, she does it with a purpose: making sure Allen receives a fair trial.

Once court is in session, individuals may leave the courtroom but cannot return until the next break. Gull’s reasoning is sound. The doors to the courtroom are near the jury box. Entering and exiting causes a disruption. Jurors can become distracted and miss important testimony or evidence.

Courthouse security is thorough. No electronics of any kind are permitted in the courthouse. Anyone entering the building is required to go through a metal detector, and all bags, coats, and other items are run through a scanner.

Through a decorum order, Gull permitted 12 media passes. Those passes were distributed to local, state, and national media who have joined a media coalition and are working together to pool media seating. The names of organizations go into a lottery drawing. There are two pool passes for each day, one print and one broadcast. Journalists chosen for the pool seats take notes that are distributed to others in the media coalition. The remaining

10 seats are divided: four for print and six for broadcast.

Gull granted the media coalition’s request to view trial exhibits. Credentialed media chosen for the 12 credentialed media seats remain in the courtroom at the end of the day, and once Allen and the remaining courtroom attendees have exited the courtroom, Gull and her staff lay out the exhibits for review. This allows the media to access the exhibits from a closer perspective. Though cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, Gull is giving as much access as she can to legacy media so that they can report on the trial.

Though it was stated during jury selection that the trial could end before Nov. 17, Friday’s all-day testimony of Melissa Oberg, a former ISP forensic firearms examiner, set the prosecution slightly behind. Carroll County Prosecutor Nick Mc- Leland had planned to call two additional witnesses Friday. One of those witnesses, ISP Lt. Jerry Holeman, testified Saturday about his Oct. 26, 2022, interview of Allen. The second witness, a DNA expert, was expected to offer lengthy testimony on Monday.

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