Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Richard Allen's Mental State Under Scrutiny| Crime Alert Recap Saturday 11.02.11

Episode Date: November 2, 2024

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's one of our top stories this week. The psychologist who treated accused murderer Richard Allen says his mental health worsened during his stay in solitary.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Drew Nilsen. In Indiana, the Delphi murder trial enters its 13th day, with Richard Allen's defense team working to create doubts about the state's case. Allen, charged with the 2017 murders of teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German, faces four counts of murder. Testimony today focuses on Allen's

mental state while in prison, as well as his treatment and behavior in solitary confinement. The defense called several witnesses to support claims that Allen's confinement worsened his mental health, challenging the reliability of his confessions made while in prison. Friday's testimony began with Hammond Police Officer Christopher Guti, who had worked on the Delphi case for about two weeks, recounting an interview he conducted with Brad Weber, a property owner near the crime scene. Weber had driven a van near the Monon High Bridge on the day of the murders, but Guti could not remember if Weber had told him exactly where he went after work that day. This interaction is part of the defense's strategy to question the timelines of the

events around the crime. Then the defense brought out Dr. Deanna Dwenger, the Director of Behavioral Health for the Indiana Department of Correction, who has overseen the mental health policies and services at IDOC since 2021. She did not directly treat Richard Allen, but she provided a view into Allen's experience at Westville Correctional Facility, where he had been held in solitary confinement for over a year. Dr. Dwenger explained the toll this level of isolation can have on mental health, saying, quote, solitary confinement is not good for the mind. According to her, IDOC policy advises that someone with a serious mental illness should not be held in solitary for more than 30 days. But Allen's confinement lasted 13 months. Dr. Dwenger testified that

Allen's mental health issues worsened in the spring of 2023 when his prison team diagnosed him with serious mental illness and classified him as gravely disabled. He showed troubling behavior, including flushing a Bible down the toilet and eating his own waste. There is video of some of this behavior from the round-the-clock surveillance of his cell. The mental illness diagnosis came around the same time that Allen confessed to his family over the phone saying he had killed the two girls. Allen's confession coincided with an unusual behavioral spiral, which included self-harm and erratic actions that, according to the defense, are common signs of severe mental stress. When questioned about why Allen had been placed in solitary confinement,

Dr. Dwenger said she did not make that decision and was unaware who did. But she admitted feeling concern over the surveillance camera always fixed on Allen. She had recommended it be removed, but the camera remained in place, adding to what she described as a, quote, non-therapeutic environment for someone with severe mental health needs. Quote, someone left alone too long like that can go downhill. I'm Nicole Parton. A suspect has been apprehended in connection with the unusual death of a camper in Montana. This initially believed to be the result of a bear attack. On Wednesday, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office announced that they have identified a suspect

related to the death of 35-year-old Dustin Jerzman. Jerzman, a father from Belgrade, was discovered with severe injuries to his body and head in the Montana wilderness near Big Sky this on October 12. He had gone missing two days prior and his body found by someone who initially thought he had been mauled by a bear. However, a representative from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks later determined that there was no evidence of a bear in the vicinity, prompting the sheriff's office to launch a homicide investigation. The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed,

reportedly led authorities to evidence pertinent to the case and is currently in custody on separate charges while cooperating with the investigation. This, according to Sheriff Dan Springer. The investigation into this homicide is ongoing, he said. We believe the suspect acted alone and there is no longer a danger to the public. More details and potential charges will be announced soon. Springer praised the detectives for their relentless pursuit of justice, acknowledging that their hard work in identifying the assailant had paid off. When his remains were initially discovered, Springer described the incident as a

vicious attack, emphasizing that Jerzman was murdered in a heinous way. Before his death, Jerzman was driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and silver aluminum ladder. He had gone out with a friend for a weekend of camping. His sister, Jillian Price, spoke to NBC about how the family loved their brother. This weekend, we lost our brother, our son, our uncle, our best friends, and our dad in the most unimaginable way. Dustin was a great kid. He was born here in Bozeman, and he worked all over the valley. He could have framed your house. He could have poured your foundation. He could have installed your countertops. It was a hardworking, skilled tradesman. There is someone in our valley that is capable of truly heinous things.

Police say the suspect is being held without bond and further information will be released. I'm Jennifer Gould. A disturbing case involving a children's therapist in New York. Instead of helping kids, she allegedly violated them sexually. Renee Hoberman, a licensed social worker from Long Island, has been arrested and charged with creating and distributing child pornography. She was arrested after agents with Homeland Security raided her Plainview home. This neighbor, Nick Randisi, spoke to ABC7 News. I haven't seen her since she was a little tiny kid and all of a sudden she's grown up and she's moved out and she's a monster. According to federal prosecutors, the 36-year-old used social media platforms to share explicit videos of infants and young children engaging in sexual acts. She also allegedly posed as a man

online and engaged in disturbing conversations with other users about child sexual abuse. In some instances, she even claimed to have produced child porn herself, sharing explicit videos of children she had abused. The videos, which were shared between June and October of 2024, depict horrific acts of sexual abuse, including infants as young as six months old being raped and tortured, according to federal prosecutors. Hoberman provided youth counseling services to children at South Oaks Hospital in Amityville from 2016 to 2021. She also worked at elementary schools and mental health clinics before becoming a licensed social worker, according to her LifeStance biography page. Hoberman was arrested and charged with distribution of child pornography.

If convicted, she faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Hoberman is being held without bond. For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould. This is an iHeart Podcast.